The Morganian Apprentice
by Argent-Jinx
Summary: AU.  Balthazar is sucked into the urn for ten years, leaving a defenseless ten year old in the shop to face Horvath alone.  Warning: Lots of hurt!Dave in future chapters.  No slash, just so you know.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, my first real attempt at a multichaper fic. We'll see what happens. I haven't written in a really long time.

Disclaimer: Got nothing

**Chapter 1**

As far as days went, ten-year old Dave Stutler was having a bad one. Impressing Becky had been wonderful, but everything else had gone downhill from there. The poor boy recalled the events that led to his cowering in a corner in a musty antique shop, starting with the note and ending with the dragon ring now clinging to his finger. He clutched the doll that had released the evil sorcerer who was now fighting the first one.

Dave's hair stuck up on the back of his neck as he felt the power charging through the air. The first sorcerer, Balthazar, who had given him the dragon ring, dodged a heavy bust as it was propelled towards him with some unseen power. He landed next to Dave in an ungraceful heap, dirty-blonde hair falling into his blue eyes. Dave gasped as the other man approached, moving like an angry predator.

"Dave, give me the doll." Balthazar whispered, sitting up with a grunt. Dave hesitated for a fraction of a second before handing it to him, just as the other sorcerer grabbed Dave with a growl.

"Give her to me now, Balthazar, or I swear I'll kill him!" Yelled the second man, sparks running up and down his body like he had just been struck by lightning.

Balthazar shook his head grimly, looking from the sorcerer to Dave with an angry sort of determination. Before Dave even had a chance to prepare himself he felt a jolt run through his body as he flew back and hit the wall, dazed.

Dave watched as Balthazar made a slicing motion with his hand and heard a sound like a cloth being ripped. He saw a flash like lightning and shielded his eyes, smelling ozone. When he opened his eyes again, the doll was gone and Balthazar was pinned against the wall with some invisible force, struggling to breathe.

The second man was looking at Balthazar with fury in his cold, dark eyes. "Where did you send it? Where?" He screamed angrily.

Instead of answering, Balthazar looked at Dave and choked out, "RUN!"

Dave didn't need to be told twice as he scrambled to his feet and fled towards the door. He didn't get far, however, as he felt himself being dragged backwards until he slammed into the wall next to Balthazar. The other sorcerer stalked forward, staring intently at Balthazar. Slowly the man reached inside his jacket and pulled out a wicked looking dagger.

"Tell me what I want to know or I'll cut it out of the boy's skin and then yours." The dark sorcerer pushed the dagger into the flesh of Dave's throat until a trickle of blood slid down the blade.

Dave heard his heart pounding in his ears as a fuzzy feeling surrounded him, particularly in the hand with the dragon ring.

"Get away from me. Get away!" The fuzziness turned into warmth, the warmth a heat, and the heat a burn until Dave thought he was going to be destroyed from it. As suddenly as it was there, the heat was gone and Dave found himself face down on the blessedly cool floor, so weak that he could barely move. He could hear Balthazar coughing next to him as the man tried to get enough air.

Across the room, the other sorcerer was picking himself out of a pile of rubble he'd been thrown into by…the boy? The man looked between Balthazar, who had regained his footing, to the child, who was too weak to stand. Then his eyes fell to the ring on the boy's finger and he stiffened.

Balthazar, as if sensing the other man's gaze, stepped in front of the boy, preparing to defend him. "Stay away from him, Horvath." Said Balthazar, exhaustion obvious in his voice.

Horvath just smirked, "So you found the Prime Merlinian, after all these years. Such power, too, it's a shame I have to kill him." He stepped toward them menacingly.

Dave struggled to get up from the floor as Balthazar moved to engage Horvath. The first sorcerer was easily pushed aside with another spell as Horvath laughed, "Pity you wasted so much energy sending the Grimhold away. If you hadn't, you might still pose a threat." He raised his bejeweled staff, pointing it at Dave, who cringed.

With a strangled yell, Balthazar rammed Horvath, knocking him away from Dave, who was still unable to function properly. A fire sprang up between the sorcerers, separating Horvath from Balthazar and Dave. Balthazar attempted to haul Dave to his feet, only to have to shove him back down as a plasma bolt shot through the flames towards them. The bolt missed its' intended target, hitting instead an antique urn that tipped over next to Balthazar, the top knocked off.

Dave rolled onto his back and watched in shock as the man was magically sucked into the vase in a matter of seconds. The flames were extinguished as Horvath stepped through them, looking around angrily for Balthazar. Unable to locate him, his eyes settled on Dave, who could barely move due to fright and fatigue.

"Tell me where he is, boy, and I will kill you quickly." Horvath hissed furiously.

"I don't know where he went, he's just gone. I swear." The unfortunate child was shaking in terror.

"Then you're of no use to me." Horvath raised his staff again as the boy squeezed his eyes shut. Instead of striking, Horvath hesitated, thinking. This boy would be the most powerful sorcerer in the world, should he live. Now Horvath may have been many things, but he certainly wasn't wasteful. When Balthazar came back, and Horvath knew that he would be back, what a blow it would be to the Merlinian to find out that the prophesized savior was serving Morganians.

By this time, Dave had decided to risk peeking, as he had yet to be blasted into a million pieces. Looking up, he saw Horvath staring at him as though deep in thought.

Horvath noticed the boy's gaze. "What's your name boy?"

"D-David."

Dave cringed as a hand connected with his face, leaving his cheek stinging.

"You will address me with respect young man." Horvath exclaimed, pulling Dave to his feet and bending down so that their faces were inches apart. "Now, how old are you and how long did you train with Balthazar?"

"I'm ten and I just came in here today for the first time…sir." Dave replied quietly, looking down so he didn't see Horvath's eyes light up with interest.

"That's interesting. Very interesting, David."

Those were the last words Dave heard before his world went black.

**A/N:** Constructive criticism is always appreciated, but I wouldn't mind straight up reviews. I know where I'm going with this story and I'm very excited to be the first one to post this idea.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I think I wrote and then re-wrote this chapter at least ten times. I HATE writing flashbacks, but when I tried to write it without one it just didn't work. So, even though I'm not completely satisfied, here's chapter two.

Also, I will be explaining a few inconsistencies at the end, so don't worry.

Disclaimer: Do you think they even check for these things?

**Chapter 2**

Present Day

Twenty-year old David Stutler could barely move due to his exhaustion. He wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and just…let go. He had wanted that almost every day for the past ten years of his living hell.

Ten years to the day, Dave thought bitterly, Ten years since my life was destroyed.

Dave remembered every moment of his tortured life with perfect clarity.

_Ten Years Earlier_

_ Dave sat up with a wince, feeling as though his entire body had been pounded with a hammer. Opening his eyes, he panicked, momentarily blinded by the surrounding darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Dave took a minute to get his bearings. He was in a small room, more of a cell really, barely ten feet by ten feet. He was sitting on a little bed that was tucked into one corner of the room. Next to the headboard was a writing desk with a chair and one, tiny, unlit candle. The only source of light came from a barred window well above his head that was set into a wall of what looked like cement._

_ Getting up slowly, Dave grabbed the chair and dragged it to the window, hoping to figure out where he was. When he stood on the chair and looked out, the sight that greeted him was not an encouraging one. He was at least forty stories above street level. Night had fallen and the lights of New York flashed mockingly at him._

_ Dave stepped down from the chair and placed it back by the desk. Well, the window was obviously a poor choice to egress, which left the door that Dave had yet to approach. He moved to the door and reached out for the handle gingerly. When nothing happened, he gripped the knob and yanked the door open, only to be faced with Horvath._

_ "David, so glad you're awake. I was just coming to get you." Said Horvath pleasantly, a crocodile grin gracing his features. He turned away with a crisp, "Follow me."_

_ Dave faltered, unwilling to allow Horvath to have any control, no matter how small. A split second later, Dave felt as though flames had engulfed his entire body. The pain was intense, unbearable and Dave had to step forward to keep himself from falling and suddenly it lessened. He took another step in the direction that Horvath had gone and the pain stopped entirely. Gritting his teeth, Dave trailed after Horvath._

_ As he walked, Dave took note of his surroundings. They were in an enormous penthouse apartment with wide picture windows overlooking New York. The mahogany floor contrasted strikingly with the white walls and antique black furniture. The whole effect was rather ostentatious. _

_ Horvath led him past a tall spiral staircase and into the dining room, where the older man sat at the head of the baroque table. "Sit down, David, we have some things to discuss." He motioned towards the chair next to him._

_ Horvath noticed Dave's hesitation and sighed, "Sit down now unless you want to spend the next five minutes writhing in pain." _

_ Dave sat._

_ "Now listen to me carefully, boy. The life you had before is gone. I've made certain of that." Horvath leaned into his high-backed chair looking smug. "You're parents don't remember you, if any of your little friends ask, the school system has never heard of you and nobody is looking for you. As far as the United States' government is concerned, you don't even exist."_

_ "How is that-"_

_ "Possible? Many things are possible for me, David, and for you as well. I'm not certain how much Balthazar had the chance to tell you, but you will be a very powerful sorcerer one day, with the right training, that is." Horvath's smug face blurred as Dave's vision seemed to turn red from fury._

_ "No, I don't want this. Any of this! I want to go home, please just let me go home." For the first time that day, Dave's constitution wavered as tears began to slide down his face. The reality of his situation, if he could call it a reality, had finally sunk in. While Dave himself was a horrible liar, he was generally very good at spotting falsehoods. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that every word Horvath had spoken was true._

_ Horvath stood abruptly, knocking his chair back onto the floor. He grabbed Dave roughly by the arm and pulled back the boy's sleeve. On Dave's wrist was a thick leather bracelet that seemed to have no beginning or end. In his distress, Dave hadn't even noticed it was on him._

_ "This is a binding cuff. It means that I control your every action, magical or otherwise. You will do everything I tell you to, or you will suffer the consequences as you did earlier." Horvath's eyes narrowed. "Do you understand?"_

_ "Yes." Dave replied quietly, remembering the intense agony from earlier. He winced as Horvath twisted his arm._

_ "Yes, what?"_

_ "Yes, sir."_

_ "Good boy," Horvath released his arm. "From now on you will always address me as sir or master. You will not speak unless spoken too, you will not leave without permission to do so and you will not use magic outside of training. Is that clear?"_

_ Dave felt a slight tingle, like a small electric shock, emit from the bracelet. He gritted his teeth and spat out, "Yes…Sir."_

Present Day

As Dave was lying, breathless on the floor of the training circle, he sensed Horvath approach. With his last reserves of strength, Dave pulled himself to his feet and turned to face Horvath. Unruly black hair was matted by sweat to the young man's head, brushing into his dark brown eyes. Without any concern for Dave's condition Horvath simply said, "You may go to your room." Allowing Dave to stumble out of the training area.

The older man considered his 'apprentice' thoughtfully once Dave had gone. Where Horvath had once towered above the young man, Dave could now look him in the eyes, something the older man hated. Though they were now of the same height, the boy was still unbelievably wiry. Due to his constant stress, fatigue, lack of appetite and nervous energy, Dave simply could not put on weight.

But his strength and skills where magic was concerned were undeniable. Spells that took other sorcerers months or years to learn often took Dave only weeks. Not that the young man was aware of that. He had never really met another sorcerer and Horvath did not praise success, he only punished failure.

He also punished any form of disrespect or disobedience, which was a frequent occurrence where Dave was concerned. Horvath had once thought that breaking the boy down and then remolding him would be easy. Dave was, after all, just a scared little child. However, while Horvath thought he was crushing the boy's hope, he was, in reality, creating a renegade.

Something inside Dave rebelled furiously at the thought of being in someone else's control. Especially if that someone was a conniving, sociopathic oppressor like Horvath.

If the boy hadn't been such a powerful asset, Horvath would have killed him years ago. The dark sorcerer often cursed that the parasite spell would not allow him to absorb power from a Merlinian. However, using David as a front had allowed him to dispose of several powerful sorcerers who were associates of Balthazar's.

Horvath would never forget the night that David had killed Zylphia. The older man had hoped that Balthazar had been foolish enough to send the grimhold to the Victorian witch. When he realized that she didn't have it, Horvath questioned her on the whereabouts of some of her fellow Merlinians. He had been sorely disappointed by her lack of cooperation. Once she noticed an exhausted and injured thirteen year old David, however, she had become much more obliging.

Horvath had made her watch as he tortured the poor boy ruthlessly. Unable to watch, despite David's valiant efforts to hide his pain, Zylphia had told Horvath the location of several Merlinians. After she had told him what he wanted, he had ordered David to kill her.

And David had.

The boy had sobbed and pleaded to let Zylphia go, but to no avail. David controlled his magic and Horvath controlled David.

**A/N: **So I thought I'd end on that note. Now, on to clear a few things up.

Since this is an AU I will be taking some minor liberties with Dave's character. I noticed a few times in the movie where his personality became a little darker. For example, when Horvath talked about Dave losing the woman he loved. And again when he was fighting Morgana. So Dave's character is going to be pretty dark for a while.

Another thing, if anyone notices anything I can do to improve my writing I definitely don't mind criticism. I'm very out of practice with my creative writing, though I should get better now that I've started again.

And thirdly, I will try to be consistant with updates, but I work a 78 hour work week with two high stress jobs. I began writing again as an outlet, but I might have to slow down every once in a while.

Alright, with all that said, I look forward to hear from you.

AJ


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So, I actually whipped this chapter out a lot faster than I thought I would.

Disclaimer: Zip

**Chapter 3**

_THUD, THUD, THUD._

The pounding of Dave's footsteps echoed in his ears as he ran, keeping a rhythm with his heartbeat.

_IN, OUT, IN, OUT._

He counted each breath as he exhaled, taking in the air of New York City with an appreciation that was nearly immeasurable. He doubted that there was another person in the entire state of New York that appreciated the gritty, unfiltered air like he did.

After angering Horvath that morning with one of his frequent and furious outbursts, Dave had known that he would be punished harshly. Horvath had forced him to maintain several defensive spells strong enough to withstand attacks from a sorcerer of the five hundredth level for over four hours.

While most people would have thought that being a sorcerer would solve all of their problems, Dave knew the truth. Learning sorcery and using all of that energy took a toll both mentally and physically. He had to train both his body and his mind constantly to be able to withstand handling the powers that he had inherited.

So, after a brief respite from training, Horvath had told him to go run until he could keep his temper under control. Hence the reason he was running through back alleys in New York at ten o' clock at night. Horvath clearly thought it was a punishment for him, but Dave reveled in his illusion of freedom. Each step he took was a step back into the mortal world and a release from the arcane life he led. Dave dreaded Horvath ever finding out how much he loved to run.

Dave stopped near a bench when he felt warm, coppery liquid run over his mouth. With a sigh he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to his nose. Nosebleeds had been a common occurrence for him the past ten years. His body was constantly trying to keep up with the physical stress it was under and sometimes it failed.

Breathing deeply through his mouth, Dave willed his heart to slow down beat by beat. Though he couldn't use magic outside the training circle or without Horvath nearby, he did have excellent control over his own body due to the meditation he had been taught. As his heartbeat slowed, Dave took note of his surroundings. He had ended up in a fairly quiet neighborhood a few blocks from the NYU campus, which meant he was about 4 miles from the apartment building that he lived in. Horvath had told him to be back by midnight and Dave knew he wouldn't be able to continue running without exhausting himself even more. Resignedly, he began to head back.

**SA-SA-SA**

Sylvio loved his wife very much and had learned to tolerate her eccentricities quite well over the past forty years of their marriage. So when she had brought home an ugly, antique urn from the flea market eight years ago, he had simply rolled his eyes and shrugged. Now, however, it was the middle of the night and the damn thing had been rocking back and forth since four o' clock in the afternoon.

With an aggravated growl, Sylvio walked into the living room and picked up the urn just as his wife, Marie, walked by.

"What are you doing?" Cried Marie, angrily.

"I don't understand," Sylvio grunted as he heaved the urn towards the front door, "why you had to buy this piece of junk in the first place."

"Junk! It's an antique!" Responded Marie.

"It's a piece of junk from a flea market." Sylvio stumbled awkwardly and dropped the urn with a resonating 'thunk.'

As he moved to get a better hold on the urn, black smoke began streaming out of the lip of the lid, pushing against the top. Sylvio and Marie backed up against the wall as the thick smoke began to solidify. Slowly, the figure of a man emerged from the black cloud.

Looking around, the man spotted Marie and Sylvio and nodded politely. "I'm sorry for intruding. I'll just leave now." And with that, he simply walked away.

Two minutes later, Marie and Sylvio had dragged the urn to the dumpster outside their apartment complex.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave was making his way back to the apartment when he heard a woman screaming for help. Shaking off the exhaustion that he felt, he began to sprint towards the voice. Rounding a corner he saw a young woman being held at knifepoint, sobbing.

"Here, take it." She began to remove the bracelet clasped around her wrist.

"Get away from her." Dave's voice was so low it was almost a growl.

The mugger turned towards him, removing the knife from the woman and releasing her. He took a step towards Dave, planning on telling him to mind his own business and step off, when he caught the look in the young man's eyes. Dave's eyes were cold with fury, his whole body tensed and ready for a fight. The mugger instinctively knew that the young man's slight appearance was deceiving and that Dave would not hesitate to kill him.

"I'm outta' here." The mugger stumbled back, turned on his heels and ran. As soon as he was out of sight, Dave turned to the young woman, who appeared to be in shock.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked softly, approaching her. He noticed that the knife had bitten into her pale skin, leaving a thin scratch on her throat. Dave remembered the fear and the pain he had felt when Horvath had hurt him the same way. He still had the scar.

Instead of answering, the young woman threw her arms around Dave and began crying. Unsure of what to do, Dave stiffened and backed away slowly, grasping her hands and unwinding them from his neck. Once she was an arm's length away, Dave released her. Silence reigned as they both looked each other over a little more cautiously.

The woman studied Dave slowly, taking in his sweaty, bedraggled appearance. Her gaze stopped on his eyes. Nice eyes that seemed genuinely concerned, if somewhat cautious, for some reason. She couldn't shake the feeling that they had met before.

Dave was examining her with just as much interest, taking in the long blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Dave instantly felt a connection to her that went deeper than a mere physical attraction. Something inside was telling him that they were meant for more than just one chance encounter.

The young woman was the first to break the awkward silence, "Thank you, just, I can't thank you enough. Thanks…again. I'm, uh, Becky. Becky Barnes."

Dave drew breath so sharply that he almost started coughing. It couldn't be his Becky, not after all of these years, but there she was, looking more beautiful than he had ever imagined. And he had imagined an older Becky nearly every day for the past ten years. The woman he had loved before he even liked girls. He realized that she was waiting for him to respond. "I'm…Dave."

She reached out and shook his hand with a surprisingly strong grip. "Well, it's nice to meet you Dave." She paused then said, "Have we met before?"

Dave hesitated before answering, knowing he was still an awful liar. Finally he managed to sputter, "Uh, no, I don't think so."

"That's so weird, I just feel like I know you from somewhere. I don't know why." She smiled sheepishly at him. "Well, I'd better get going."

"Wait!" Exclaimed Dave, "I'll walk with you, we're headed the same way."

"Great!"

Dave was surprised to see she was actually interested in walking with him and not just humoring him. They began walking side by side, with Becky chattering quietly next to him. Dave wasn't really paying attention; he was still too amazed at just being next to a person who was content with him just being him.

"-and I was stuck in the studio all night because I wanted to get tomorrow's show ready ahead of time and-" Becky stopped talking suddenly. "I'm sorry, I'm blabbering."

"No, don't be. I find your voice soothing." Dave replied quickly. "So, you have a radio show?"

"Just college radio. It's not much, but it's like the one thing that…I don't know." Becky looked down, blushing.

Dave just nodded, trying to understand. He couldn't remember the last time he had possessed anything that he could call his own.

"Well, this is me." Becky had stopped in front of a small duplex. "My roommate's probably worried sick. It was nice talking with you, Dave."

"You too, Becky." Dave turned to go but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I know this is weird, but do you want to hang out sometime." Becky said, a little awkwardly. When Dave didn't answer right away, she immediately backtracked. "I'm sorry, that was so stupid. I don't even know you."

"No, it wasn't stupid. It's just, I can't. I'm sorry, but I just can't." Before Dave could feel like an even bigger idiot, he turned away and began running back to the apartment complex where he lived.

Becky stood on the doorstep, wondering if she had done something wrong.

Neither of them noticed the dark figure that stepped out of the shadows and began to follow Dave.

**A/N:** And this is where I leave you for today. I know Dave didn't have a physical advantage in the movie, but I decided to make him a runner for two reasons. One, I have guy friends who run and they are stick thin. So I figured it wouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibilities. Two, I'm a runner, so I know how therapeutic and relaxing it can be.

Also, Becky will be playing a pretty big part in this story. I like her character and her balance with Dave. So I hope no one is disappointed that I brought her in.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the AU plot.

**Chapter 4**

Dave sprinted up the steps of the apartment building and burst through the front door. No one paid him the slightest bit of attention; no one ever did. Horvath had cast a spell on the building itself that made everyone inside overlook Dave. He wasn't invisible; he was just unnoticed to the degree that he almost seemed invisible.

Shoving past several people, Dave stumbled into an elevator, closing the doors behind him with a push of the button. The people who had been waiting didn't even seem to realize that he had taken their place.

To a non-magical eye, there seemed to be only forty-two floor buttons available to push. Dave, however, could easily see a button marked 43 in bright gold. As soon as he pushed it the elevator doors opened revealing the penthouse that Dave had lived in for the past ten years. Looking at the large grandfather clock on his left, Dave breathed a huge sigh of relief. The time read eleven fifty-eight. He had made it, barely.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you David?" Dave jumped at the sound of Horvath's voice. Bracing himself, Dave turned to face the older man.

"I lost track of time, but at least I'm here, _sir." _Dave's voice was thick with sarcasm to hide the half-truths of the statement. No matter what, Dave knew that he would always be a terrible liar. Thankfully, Horvath didn't seem to notice this time.

"Don't take that tone with me, boy." Replied Horvath angrily, making Dave want to flinch instinctively. Instead, he lowered his head and attempted to look contrite. The older man waved his hand at Dave dismissively.

Horvath hadn't changed much in the past ten years except what little change was necessary for him to blend in with the times. The fur lined coat and bowler hat had been replaced with expensive suits and ties. The older sorcerer had given up trying to find the Grimhold himself, opting instead to wait for Balthazar's certain return. Since he hadn't killed Balthazar, he knew the other man would eventually come back to finish his mission.

In the meantime, Horvath enjoyed living extravagantly and running with high-class crowds that were easily impressed by his apparent wealth. He kept up the pretense that he was a wealthy heir from Europe who had decided to 'retire' in the states. The few times that he had introduced Dave, for whatever reason, he had claimed that the young sorcerer was his nephew.

"Go to your room and stay there. I have an appointment." With that, Horvath entered the elevator without so much as a backwards glance.

Dave made his way back to his room as slowly as the binding spell would allow for. Once inside he went over to his bed and sat down with a sigh. Every part of him ached so deeply he felt as though his very bones were on fire, each breath seemed to be a struggle. Groaning at the effort Dave peeled off his sweatshirt and shoes, to tired to want to change into anything clean.

Knowing that he probably would not get a chance to rest again for a long time, Dave leaned back, closed his eyes and attempted to drift off.

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar Blake had been having a busy day.

First he had gone to retrieve his valuables, such as the Incantus, from his store, which had been turned into a Nokia outlet. Thankfully the owners hadn't felt the need to do any reconstruction in the basement. Then he had scoured New York City for Merlin's ring or Horvath, or preferably both. He began with Merlin's ring.

Locating the ring again had been relatively easy. After all, Balthazar had had over one thousand years to get in tune with its' aura. Seeing who was wearing it, however, was a shock.

Spotting Dave on the quiet suburban street, the ring dangling from a necklace chain, with a seemingly normal person had relieved Balthazar to a degree that it felt like he had taken his first breath in ten years. He had hoped and wished during his imprisonment in the urn that the little boy in the shop hadn't been murdered. Thanking his lucky stars, Balthazar took in the young man's appearance. Tall, and painfully thin, the boy looked like he could sleep for about a month, but other than that he seemed to be in very good shape.

As he watched Dave turn to leave the girl that he had been speaking with, Balthazar almost approached him, but thought better of it. Instead, he followed carefully from a distance, using the ring to track as opposed to trying to keep up with Dave's mad sprint.

Once he had managed to trail Dave to the apartment building, Balthazar stopped, confused. He could sense the spells that surrounded the entire facility. But Dave hadn't created the spells; they were Horvath's. He could recognize the source of those spells anywhere.

Balthazar could sense that the spells were strongest near the top of the building. As he stared at the structure trying to figure out the best approach, a man in a custom tailored suit walked out of the building carrying a bejeweled cane. Balthazar instantly identified the familiar form as Horvath. For a moment Balthazar considered following Horvath, but the thought was quickly brushed aside. Balthazar's main concern would always be the Prime Merlinian.

Realizing that he might not have such a good opportunity again, Balthazar headed for the building instead. As he approached the building, Balthazar made some slight alterations in his appearance. His hair smoothed out, the leather trench coat that he wore turned into gray wool and his shirt and trousers shifted into a business suit. As he stepped up to the entrance, the doorman moved in front of him.

"Can I help you with something?" The man's tone was snobbish.

Calling on his magic, Balthazar felt a tingling in his fingers. Looking the doorman steadily in the eyes, Balthazar said, "I'm visiting a friend. You know that. I'll just show myself up."

"Ah, visiting your friend again? I'm sure you know the way up." The doorman's demeanor had changed from foul to fawning almost immediately. With a smile he allowed Balthazar to pass.

Balthazar rolled his eyes as he moved to the elevator, marveling at how weak willed the man had been. The elevator door opened with a 'ding' and Balthazar stepped inside, pressing the close button quickly. Looking around he instantly noted that the inside had been magically modified with defensive spells to halt unwanted magicians. He wouldn't be able to go anywhere with the charms in place. Any lesser sorcerer would have closed the doors and been instantly trapped in the elevator until the spell caster came to release them, or worse.

But Balthazar Blake was no ordinary sorcerer. While Horvath was powerful, he was not necessarily very creative. The defensive spells were layered, weaker spells overlapping each other to create the illusion of a stronger weave. Instead of attacking the enchantments as one, Balthazar began to peel them back layer by layer until the spells were so weak that they were obsolete. Within ten minutes he was free and able to press the button for the forty-third floor.

Stepping into the penthouse, Balthazar could only shake his head at what he saw. The setting was ridiculously extravagant and baroque. It was very 'Horvath.' Even after thirteen hundred years the man clearly still thought of himself as the nobleman that he once was. Balthazar, on the other hand, always remembered his humble roots as a simple farmer's son.

Casting his senses out for other traps, Balthazar began to cautiously make his way through the penthouse. He noticed, and avoided, several intruder traps at once. Room by room he moved through the apartment, memorizing and taking in any information that might prove useful in the future. Eventually he came upon a door that looked like it might lead to an old-fashioned pantry or wine cellar. He could feel the powerful magic emanating from the room.

Slowly, carefully keeping his magic at the ready, Balthazar opened the door. Soft snores echoed quietly from inside the room. Opening the door the rest of the way, Balthazar observed the room quietly, from the barred windows to the bare stone floor. Lastly his gaze fell on the young man who was basically unconscious for all intents and purposes. Now that he could see Dave up close Balthazar observed the various bruises that covered Dave's arms as well as the dark circles under his eyes.

Perhaps worst of all, for Balthazar at any rate, was the bracelet that was magically bound to the young sorcerer's forearm. He knew exactly what that bracelet meant and could feel the powerful enchantments that were layered into it. A binding spell that powerful meant that Dave was currently little more than a slave. As much as he had hoped during his imprisonment that the boy would be alive when he got out, he would never have wanted that if he had known that this life would be Dave's fate.

Balthazar couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty about the entire situation. It was his fault, he knew, that Dave was in this mess, regardless of the fact that it was an accident. Every instinct screamed at him to grab the boy and leave, make sure he was safe and would never be hurt again. But the logical side of him held Balthazar back. Getting the binding cuff off of Dave would be difficult and required preparation and Balthazar knew that they couldn't leave without taking it off. Also, without a place to hide, they wouldn't live to see the weekend.

Hating himself even more for abandoning Dave once again, Balthazar muttered, "I swear I'll be back." With that promise made, he closed the door quietly, so as not to wake the young man. Checking the apartment one more time, Balthazar quickly adjusted the parameters of the defensive spells so that he would be able to enter the apartment again without Horvath knowing. Swiftly checking to make sure that everything was exactly the same as it was when he entered, the sorcerer exited the apartment.

**A/N: **I hate myself for this, but it had to be done. The dreaded filler chapter. I would be a WHOLE lot happier if I could have Balthazar fly in there, figurative guns blazing. But, I can't, because then there would be big gaps in the story, hence a filler chapter.

On a happier note, the next chapter is almost finished and I will be posting it either tomorrow or the day after, I hope. It will have confrontations, and magic, and hurt!Dave and a bulldog. But that's all I can say. So in the meantime, don't hate me and…enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I've never been able to do this before, but I've always wanted to! It's time to thank my reviewers. I was shocked that my hits suddenly doubled at chapter 4 and the reviews have been really supportive so here we go.

SiriusFan, ChimeraRaven: You guys were my first reviewers. Thank you sooooo much for your support.

Kenobigirlliz: I'm glad you stuck with the story, I hope it lives up to your expectations.

Expat, Thunderjam: You guys have been awesome reviewers and I get so excited to read what you have to say! Thanks for the support!

Davefan: I think you and I think along the same lines.

And I do want to thank everyone who reviewed, but I'm getting ready for job 2 right now and have to bail after I post this.

Disclaimer: Um, Nothing. Still nothing.

**Chapter 5**

Balthazar walked down the street feeling like a fraud. Merlinians were supposed to help people, yet he had just left Dave there completely defenseless. True, the boy had managed to stay alive for ten years, but at what cost Balthazar wasn't sure. Obviously Horvath hadn't managed to turn the boy; the binding cuff was testament to that. However, Balthazar could only hope that whatever emotional damage had been done was fixable.

Turning down an alley, Balthazar slammed his fist into a wall, cursing in frustration. A soft whimper startled him out of his reverie. Looking around the alley, Balthazar's eyes found a young bulldog cowering a few feet away. He moved towards it gently, but the animal darted away before he could get any closer. It raced down the alley and slid under a grill with a sign marked 'FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY. KEEP OUT!'

Intrigued Balthazar moved to the gate and banished the padlock with a wave of his hand. As he gazed into the darkness, he could hear the bulldog pup whuffling softly as it made its' way down the stairs. Calling on his magic for some light, Balthazar followed. Approximately twenty feet underground he came to a plain locked door, the young bulldog sitting in front of it panting happily. Another wave of his hand opened the door while a snap of his fingers lit up the inside with a crackling noise.

Balthazar's eyes widened as the room lit up, humming with energy that hadn't been used in many years. He had come to an old subway turn-about that seemed to have been entirely abandoned. The little bulldog trotted inside as if it owned the place.

The room itself was enormous, if a little dusty, and had several doors that he assumed led into washrooms and storage spaces. Feeling hopeful for the first time in a decade, Balthazar decided that his luck might finally be turning around. The old subway was a brilliant hiding space for himself and, if everything went well, Dave. Turning to the little dog that had returned from exploring, Balthazar said, "If it wasn't extremely awkward, I would kiss you right now."

With that said, Balthazar went to do some exploring of his own.

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath stepped into the elevator with the figurative blood still fresh on his hands. It was figurative because Horvath hadn't killed anyone messily enough to get blood on himself in years. Thinking about his latest victory, Horvath grinned maliciously. Kneph had been an ally of Balthazar's for centuries. The Egyptian enchanter had been almost impossible to track down, causing Horvath no end of trouble. Finally, after years of searching, the Morganian had tracked the other sorcerer down and, unable to extract any useful information from the man, Horvath had killed him.

Horvath was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice that something was…off as he walked out of the elevator. It wasn't something obvious, but it was there. It was a feeling that something was out of place, that something was there that should not have been. In the back of his mind Horvath knew that the sensation was familiar, like a memory from a dream. Unable to place the feeling, however, Horvath angrily assumed that it was David once again testing the boundaries of the spell work that kept him captive.

Horvath stormed down the hallway towards the room that Dave stayed in.

**SA-SA-SA**

For the first time in years Dave was dreaming peacefully, with no nightmares plaguing his subconscious. He was standing on the sixty-first floor of the Chrysler building, just as he had once done when he was very young, looking out over the city nightlife. Next to him was Becky, as beautiful in his dreams has she had been just a few hours earlier.

Dave knew that he was dreaming, that he would have to wake up soon and feel the pain of his life crash down again. But right then he simply didn't care. Becky leaned into him and he gazed down at her, wishing that one moment could be real. When he looked back up, the sky had changed from clear and cloudless to a stormy black. Becky, the Chrysler building, the entire dream disappeared as Dave was forced into wakefulness by being slammed against a wall, feeling the air knocked from his lungs by the impact.

"What were you doing, David?" Hissed Horvath venomously, pinning Dave roughly to the wall with magic. Dave gasped, struggling to breathe with the massive pressure against his chest. Horvath watched unsympathetically, increasing the pressure against the younger man until Dave was clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying out and wasting precious oxygen. Horvath kept pushing and calmly said, "The spells were adjusted, what did you do?"

"N-Nothing. Sleeping." Dave barely managed to stutter the words out. For once he was hoping that his inability to lie would be beneficial to him. He felt the force in his chest and back lessen as he was released and allowed to drop unceremoniously to the floor. Hauling himself up, Dave forced himself to look Horvath straight in the eyes, "I haven't done anything but sleep. I haven't left this room, I swear."

Horvath was silent as he thought about what Dave said. The boy obviously wasn't lying and no one would be foolish enough to come to the apartment to mess with spells only to repair them. They would have taken something, or someone. Balthazar never would have left the boy here in this condition; it simply wasn't in his character. Horvath cast his senses out, feeling the parameters of the spells again and this time he found no inconsistencies. The minor discrepancy seemed to have disappeared.

As Horvath was contemplating, Dave waited quietly, praying that he would not be punished for something that he hadn't done. Dave drew shallow breaths, anxiously trying to prevent aggravating his back and ribs. He could tell that he had some bruised, possibly broken, ribs and his head ached from where it had slammed into the wall. Other than that, however, no other injuries seemed to be present.

After a few moments, Horvath nodded. "Get cleaned up and eat something. I want you ready to practice those shield spells again in an hour. And you'd better do them correctly. Heaven help you if you fail." With that said, Horvath turned and left.

Dave released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. So someone tampered with the spells. Well, it sure as hell hadn't been him. The last time he had attempted to reduce the enchantments the results had been unpleasant to say the least. Wincing as his sore muscles and pained ribs protested, Dave rummaged under the bed where he kept a small trunk for his clean clothes. Retrieving a fresh attire Dave headed to the washroom still mulling over the turn of events.

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar stood back to admire his handiwork, extremely pleased with his accomplishments. It had taken several hours, but the subway turn-about had been turned into a set of comfortable living spaces. Balthazar had easily transported chairs, tables, couches, beds, carpets and even some basic medical equipment into the magically enlarged storage rooms, which had been thoroughly cleansed.

The cobblestone turn-about circle itself was serving as a practice area complete with a Merlin's Circle. The ancient symbol served a double purpose as Balthazar had enchanted the circle so that it would hide and protect the entire underground facility. Horvath would be unable to find him, let alone get to him.

While Balthazar regarded his work, he considered the traitorous apprentice himself, analyzing everything that he knew. He and Horvath had once been allies and, as much as it pained him to admit it, they knew each other extremely well.

Horvath was aggressive; he always had been. He constantly needed to be the center of attention, loving any form of awareness to him. For that reason, Horvath's strength tended to lie in offensive combat spells, which were often flashy or showy in some way. Generally he would defeat his enemies with a show of sheer force that would blow whoever was trying to fight him out of the water. His normally overwhelming spell casting had made him first confident then, as the years went by, arrogant. The arrogance created impatience and as a result Horvath seemed to decide that if he couldn't understand a spell immediately then it wasn't worth learning. He never failed to master combat spells quickly however, this did leave him lacking when it came to complex defense spells.

Balthazar, on the other hand, was quiet, the introvert of the two. He had always preferred to be with animals rather than people and had a natural knack for working with them. Whenever there was a fight Balthazar would usually try to work out a diplomatic solution. However, if that failed, he would fight with patience, cunning and subtlety. It was extremely rare for him to face an opponent head on, opting instead to allow an adversary to wear themselves out on his defenses before striking himself. He worked hard to master every spell he could, taking his time to practice and perfect his work. Balthazar had long ago mastered defensive spells that Horvath had probably never even heard of.

As Balthazar ended his recap of knowledge he began preparing for one last spell.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave could feel his energy draining away. His heart pounded against throbbing ribs, his head ached, sweat poured into his eyes, which were beginning to glaze over with pain. Blood began trickling down the back of his throat as he swallowed. His nose was bleeding, again. Unable to continue maintaining the spell, Dave collapsed. He was still too weak from the day before to control his magic for long periods of time.

Dave didn't understand. It was like Horvath was exhausting him to spite someone. Not that the man hadn't taken his anger out on Dave before, but usually there was an obvious reason. With the exception of Horvath's outburst earlier that day there had been no outward signs of rage or aggression. The older man was calmly watching as Dave continually burned out again and again.

"Get up, David." Horvath's voice was icy.

Dave could barely muster the energy to shake his head. This time he simply could not get up.

"Get up now." Even as Horvath said the words, Dave could feel the familiar burning sensation begin to crawl up his arm.

Dave shook his head again as the pain began to intensify. Instinctively Dave curled into a ball even as his injured ribs vehemently protested the action. Within seconds Dave was clenching his teeth, holding on to the one thing that had kept him going all those years. His pride. Not for the first time Dave wanted to plead with Horvath to just kill him and get it over with. The pain continued and Dave actually opened his mouth to speak the dreaded words when another voice interrupted.

from a long time ago. Then the pain was gone. Oh, the pain of his injuries and fatigue was still there, but the burning, fiery sensation was gone. Dave didn't care, it barely even registered. Some part of him knew that he had finally gotten his wish. He was dying.

**A/N: **Haha. Cliffhanger. But killing Dave would take my fun away. Or would it? Beats me. Sorry if this is sporadic, but I have enough caffeine in my system to give an elephant a heart attack. I had more written, but I decided to leave it here.

Oh, sorry I couldn't post yesterday. Too busy. Plus deworming camels always puts me in a bad mood. And my bobcat decided yesterday was the time to go stalking the emus on our walk. Don't worry, he chickened out about twenty feet from them, but they still caused a lot of ruckus when they saw him. Well, time for work. Bye!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope, nada, zilch

**Chapter 6**

Balthazar eased through the streets of New York in his recently retrieved automobile. Looking at it, no one would have recognized that it was really a 1935 Rolls Royce Phantom that Balthazar had bought when it had first come out. The car currently had the sleek shape of a 2010 Mercedes LRS after the sorcerer had manipulated its' form in order to better blend in with the times.

By noon Balthazar had reached the apartment complex and drove into the underground parking structure that was specifically for the tenants. A flick of his fingers was all it took to get past the guarded entrance without contest.

To his relief, the elevators in the garage went all the way up to the private floors including the magically concealed forty-third. Pressing the gold button, Balthazar waited with trepidation for the doors to reopen. When they did, Balthazar exited cautiously, hoping that none of the defensive spells had been reset. They hadn't. Balthazar instantly felt the familiar aura of his own enchantments that he had hidden within the spells. Utilizing his preset spells, he immediately reversed all of Horvath's defenses. If Horvath attempted to activate them, they would backfire.

Balthazar waited for any sign of either Horvath's or Dave's presence. A tingling feeling ran over his entire body alerting him that powerful magic was being called upon nearby. Magic that definitely wasn't Horvath's. Balthazar moved forward, intuitively knowing which direction the magic was coming from. He stopped at the bottom of the spiral staircase as he felt the flood of magic ebb and then halt altogether. Listening with baited breath, he could hear someone breathing heavily, though gasping, as though taking in air was a severe challenge.

"Get up, David."

Balthazar swore he felt his heart stop when he heard Horvath's voice.

"Get up now."

Balthazar felt the swell of Horvath's magic and heard a cry of pain that was quickly replaced with shallow gasps. Without any thought of the consequences, Balthazar sprinted up the steps. The sight that met his eyes filled him with a fury he hadn't felt since Merlin had passed away in his arms over a millennium before.

Dave was curled on the floor in agony as Horvath stood outside the training circle with a sneer, clearly causing the torture. Unable to wait any longer, Balthazar said the first thing that popped into his head.

"And you said I'm not very sporting." The prosaic line made Balthazar want to slap himself, but it did serve his purpose in distracting Horvath from Dave.

"Balthazar, I thought I smelled your stench when I walked in earlier." Said Horvath amiably, turning to face the other man.

"Ten years in an urn with no showers available does tend to leave one feeling a little ripe. Though I thought I'd covered my tracks pretty well." While he was speaking, Balthazar tried to get a better look at Dave, who hadn't moved.

"In all fairness, I almost didn't notice that you'd been here, but then I figured that I would double-check. Surprise, surprise. Don't even bother trying to use those plasma fields that you set up." Horvath smirked.

Balthazar, on the other hand, was relieved. Leave it to Horvath to only look for offensive spells. It was no wonder the reversal spells hadn't been touched.

"Is that why you're doing this to him?" Balthazar indicated Dave, "You knew I would come back and find you committing this atrocity. You're punishing him for something I did?"

Horvath raised an eyebrow and looked at Balthazar disdainfully. "Well, I suppose that's part of it, but I'll be honest. I really just don't like him. I suppose he just reminds me too much of you."

Bile rose up in Balthazar's throat at the thought of the boy being hurt due to Horvath's centuries old grudge. He wanted to kill Horvath, which was something he had never truly wanted before. However, his main concern was Dave, who was breathing so shallowly that he wasn't taking in enough oxygen. Killing Horvath would have to wait.

Without warning, hoping that he would shock Horvath by being unpredictable, Balthazar attacked, sending a plasma bolt straight at Horvath. The other sorcerer was caught unawares as the force of the bolt sent him careening backwards into the far wall. Giving Horvath no chance to recover, Balthazar threw another plasma bolt.

As the second bolt hit its' target, Balthazar sensed Horvath calling upon the defensive spells that had been preset. Keeping his fingers mentally crossed, Balthazar allowed Horvath to activate the spells. Balthazar felt the magic building up, similar to the pressure one felt at the bottom of a deep pool. It made his ears ache, causing him to grind his teeth at the discomfort.

Horvath seemed to notice that something was off as well, but by then it was too late. The pressure discharged, causing a burst of magical energy to rebound into Horvath, stunning him in a way that was similar to the effect of a taser. Balthazar knew that Horvath wouldn't be out of commission long enough to finish him off, but hopefully it would be long enough to get the binding cuff off of Dave.

The Merlinian sorcerer pulled a long iron dagger out of his jacket and stepped inside the training circle. The dagger had been a gift from Merlin himself many years ago. It was enchanted to break any spell, lift any enchantment and destroy any curse. The problem was it would only work once. Merlin had left him four of these enchanted daggers and this was the second to last one.

As useful as it would be to have more, Balthazar had never attempted to create them. While they were stable in their final form, making them was one of the most complicated, powerful and dangerous pieces of magic to exist. If the spell caster made a mistake then the magic would backfire and destroy not only the caster, but also every living thing within approximately ten miles.

Kneeling down next to the unconscious boy, Balthazar gently rolled him onto his back, observing him carefully. The skin around his lips and under his fingernails was turning a very pale blue. Cursing, Balthazar grabbed Dave's wrist that had the cuff on it and, praying, sliced through the cuff. As the enchantment broke it made a sound like the largest rubber band in the entire world had just snapped. The dagger that Balthazar had been holding disintegrated into dust in his clenched fingers.

Instantly Balthazar felt the younger man's magic fill the boy as there was no longer anything to restrain it. Now that there was nothing for Horvath to hold against him, Balthazar was ready to face the Morganian. Turning to confront the other man, Balthazar realized that Horvath had fled as soon as he had seen his bargaining chip disappear.

As furious as he was about losing Horvath, Balthazar was also relieved. At least this way he would be able to tend to Dave immediately and not have to waste precious time fighting. Examining Dave again, Balthazar knew that the most pressing matter was making sure that the younger man was getting enough oxygen.

Using his magic, Balthazar inspected Dave's ribs and lungs. Several ribs had been cracked and two had broken entirely. A fragment from one of the broken ribs had punctured a lung, collapsing it, thus the reason for Dave's difficulty breathing. He also seemed to have a climbing fever, which was not uncommon for sorcerers who had exhausted themselves magically.

Unfortunately, Balthazar had never had a gift for healing humans and had never progressed past the most elementary healing spells. Balthazar silently berated himself for not learning more about healing. A master healer could have had the boy back to one-hundred percent with no ill affects to either party.

Balthazar could not. He did, however, know the theory when it came to healing other people. The problem was, with _basic_ healing Balthazar had to contribute as much energy as it would take his own body to heal the same injury in the natural amount of time and then condense it into a nearly instantaneous event. Trying to heal everything at once would leave him unconscious or worse. Instead Balthazar focused only on fixing the two broken ribs and re-inflating the damaged lung. Everything else would have to wait.

Balthazar finished his ministrations and looked back at Dave's face. Immediately the younger man had begun to breathe easier as the color returned to his face. Balthazar heaved a sigh of relief as Dave began to stir. Grasping for his magic one more time Balthazar imposed his will over Dave's and began to force the boy into a deep sleep. He was surprised when Dave fought it but continued pushing until Dave, weakened as he was, finally had to succumb to the inevitable.

Scooping Dave up as gently as possible, Balthazar was hit by a sudden wave of vertigo caused by the healing spells drain on his energy. For a moment he stood still, waiting for it to pass, before carrying Dave to the elevator. When they made it down to the parking garage, Balthazar transfigured the Mercedes into a Porsche Cayenne. He opened the back and positioned Dave so that he was lying flat on his back in the cargo area. As he was putting the boy down, he could feel Dave shivering violently from the fever. Balthazar immediately pulled off his coat and draped it over the young man's too thin frame. Checking Dave over one last time, Balthazar got into the driver's seat and sped off.

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar set Dave down as gently as possible onto the comfortable bed that occupied the small room just as the younger man was beginning to stir. Apparently, Dave wasn't a very sound sleeper, even when said sleep had been magically induced. Feeling the boy's forehead, Balthazar noticed that the fever was still persisting. Dave's eyelids flickered slightly at the unexpectedly gentle touch. Not wanting to alarm Dave when he woke, Balthazar moved a few feet back and summoned a chair to him. He sat for about a minute before Dave's eyes finally opened properly.

Locking his pain-glazed, feverish eyes on Balthazar, Dave opened his mouth to speak. Words weren't the substance to exit. Balthazar jerked out of his seat and moved to Dave's side in an instant, placing a cool hand on the back of the boy's neck in an effort to soothe him. With his other hand he summoned a wastebasket and held it for Dave as the young sorcerer continued to wretch violently. As soon as Dave had enough control of his battered body to cease vomiting he pulled away from Balthazar and backed up against the wall.

"Don't touch me!" It was a demand, not a question or plea.

Balthazar stood up and backed away slowly, holding Dave's gaze. With one more wave of his hand, the puddle of sick that was next to the bed flew into the wastebasket that Balthazar had set down. Moving back over to his chair, Balthazar sat so that he was more or less at eye level with Dave. Dave, meanwhile, was glaring at him suspiciously, clearly unnerved by the previous display of compassion.

Treating Dave as he would treat a wounded animal, Balthazar spoke calmly and quietly.

"Dave I want you to listen to me very carefully. I did not bring you here to harm you. I want to help." Balthazar paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "You are still very weak right now, so I'm asking you to please relax. However, it's up to you. I am not going to make you do anything that you don't want to do."

Balthazar knew that Dave could sense the truth in his words, but didn't quite believe them. Clearly Dave was desperate to trust someone, anyone, again. Balthazar waited calmly, allowing the boy time to size him up. The wary brown eyes finally locked with the compassionate blue ones and Balthazar felt as though his very soul was being weighed.

Finally, after what seemed like a century, Dave slid to the edge of the bed and allowed his feet to touch the floor, hissing at the pain the motion had caused. Keeping his eyes locked on Balthazar, Dave finally seemed to have accepted…something. Balthazar simply waited, wanting Dave to be the one to make the next move. Dave seemed to realize this and, with guarded resolution, he frankly asked, "Who are you?"

**A/N: **And this is where I leave you for today, or tonight, I guess. I know, I know. I wanted more Horvath-thrashing too. But, on the bright side, there's a lot of Dave/Balthazar hurt/comfort so I feel it balances out. And Horvath will get his dues. MWUAHAHAHA!

Oh, and to SiriusFan, your review made me laugh, well, snort cuz I didn't want to wake my roommate. But It definitely made me smile.

And to Firewhisperer and Arlothia, the reviews from you guys were inspiring and a LOT of fun to read.

AngstHurtComfort, don't worry I will be addressing the issue you brought up, I just haven't quite found the right place.

ThuderJam and Kenobigirlliz I actually thought I should post a fake chapter where Dave dies and pretend to end it, just to see what you would say. But I didn't. It would be funny, though.

Thanks for the reviews guys!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to Arlothia, who was kind enough to tolerate my ranting. Thank you!

Disclaimer: I'm working on it!

**Chapter 7**

"Who are you?" Dave's simple question was harder for Balthazar to answer than the older sorcerer would have cared to admit.

Unsure of how much Horvath had told Dave, Balthazar went with the most basic answer, "My name is Balthazar Blake."

Recognition flared briefly in Dave's eyes, followed by resentment, even anger. "I remember you now. My _master _spoke of you often."

Dave spat Horvath's title out like a curse. It was the tone of someone so conditioned to do something hated that he didn't even notice his own reaction. Balthazar, on the other hand, tried not to cringe when he heard how Dave addressed Horvath. "And what, exactly, did he say?"

"I told him that you disappeared and he said that you were a coward. He said that you'd run away to save your own skin! YOU JUST LEFT ME!" Dave's voice rose with each word until he shouted the last accusation, getting to his feet. The yelling and sudden motion aggravated his injuries, forcing him to sit back down.

Balthazar refrained from helping, not wanting to invade the younger man's personal space again unless it became absolutely necessary. Instead he calmly replied, "I didn't mean to leave you and I didn't run away. I was trapped, all those years. Believe me, I never would have left you with that man. Ever."

Some of the hostility left Dave's face as he watched Balthazar with a calculating stare. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Dave nodded. It was clear to Balthazar that, though Dave seemed to understand the circumstances, the boy still didn't truly forgive him, or trust him, for that matter. Well, that was acceptable for the moment.

Balthazar watched closely as Dave tried to stay composed as a spasm of pain wracked his thin frame. "Do you want something for the pain?"

Instantly Dave's expression closed off and became entirely unreadable. "I'm fine."

The response was said with such dispassion and indifference that it was obvious that this was one lie that Dave had practiced many times. The older man wasn't sure whether Dave was trying to convince himself or Balthazar. Like a constantly kicked puppy, Dave expected nothing but cruel tricks and harsh treatment, leading him to regard any form of kindness with deep suspicion. Balthazar scrutinized the younger man for a moment, debating as to how he should proceed. Reluctantly he decided to let Dave call the shots, at least temporarily. If Balthazar made any attempt at controlling Dave, then he would just push the boy further away. Balthazar needed an excuse to leave so that he could collect his thoughts and Dave could relax.

"Look, I'm going to go get some food. I'm hungry and you look like you could use it." Before Dave had a chance to either agree or protest, Balthazar was gone.

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar re-entered the subway station an hour later trailed by a dozen grocery bags hovering in a straight line. At his command, the groceries began distributing themselves into the appropriate areas of the small, newly furnished kitchen.

Leaving the groceries to settle, Balthazar put down the smaller bag that he had been carrying and pulled out several warm containers. Grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, Balthazar opened one of the containers and poured the contents into the bowl. The smell of the homemade broth made his own stomach grumble, but Dave was still his number one priority.

Reaching into another cupboard, Balthazar pulled out an assortment of vials and herbs; more treasures that he had been able to salvage from the old Arcana Cabana. With practiced ease he measured different combinations and added them to the bowl of broth. Though he had never had a real aptitude for healing, herbal remedies had been a part of his upbringing since even before his apprenticeship with Merlin. He had always supposed it had something to do with his farming roots, having a more natural and earthy talent.

A clatter of nails on the linoleum floor alerted him to another presence in the small kitchen. The little bulldog had smelled the food and come sprinting in. With a grin, Balthazar grabbed another bowl and searched for the bag of dog food that he had purchased, since it was clear that the little animal had decided to adopt him.

While the dog satiated its' hunger, Balthazar headed back to the room where Dave was currently residing, carrying a tray laden with the broth, water and plain wheat bread. Opening the door with one hand while carefully balancing the tray with the other, Balthazar entered the room. When he turned to regard Dave, he frowned.

The younger man was curled up in a tight ball with his back pressed up to the wall, sleeping fitfully. The knuckles that gripped the pillow near his head were white and his breathing was extremely shallow. Sweat gleamed on his forehead even though he was shivering.

Putting the tray down on the nearby desk, Balthazar moved over to the bed and placed his hand on Dave's forehead. His fever, if anything, had risen. Balthazar touched Dave's shoulder gently saying, "Dave, wake up. You're going to hurt yourself. Dave."

Dave's eyes fluttered open and he groaned, twisting away. Balthazar grabbed Dave's shoulder and said even more firmly, "Dave, you're putting to much pressure on your ribs. You need to stretch out."

Dave's pain-filled, fever glazed eyes met Balthazar's and he attempted to comply. The younger man hissed through his clenched teeth and Balthazar knew from experience how excruciatingly painful the movement was. As soon as he had managed to uncurl, however, Dave's breathing evened out and his eyes managed to truly focus again. With the pressure taken off of his chest and his muscles no longer contracted, Dave's new position was infinitely more comfortable.

Keeping a gentle grip on Dave's shoulder, Balthazar guided the boy into sitting position propped against several pillows. Dave's muffled grunt was the only sound of protest. Once Balthazar was assured that the younger man wouldn't topple over, he retrieved the tray of food from the desk before sitting lightly on the bed with it.

Dave's eyes had cleared a bit and he was focusing on Balthazar and, even more importantly, the food. 'If he has any sense of appetite that's certainly encouraging.' Balthazar thought hopefully.

"I brought some food and you need to eat. Can you feed yourself?" It was a fair question, considering how physically unstable Dave was. The look Balthazar received in reply clearly said that Dave would feed himself or die trying.

Shakily Dave picked up the bowl of broth and brought it to his lips, foregoing the spoon altogether. As soon as he took the first sip, Balthazar could already see an improvement in the young man's features. Dave's trembling had subsided, his breathing became deeper, and for the first time he looked truly lucid. And irritated.

"What's in this?" Dave's voice was stronger than when they had first spoken

"It's chicken broth with dried turmeric and willow. The herbs were magically enhanced." Said Balthazar, as if that clarified everything.

"And what do these 'magically enhanced' herbs do?"

"Willow is a fever reducer and a mild pain reliever, but the turmeric I learned about in Asia. It's a fairly potent pain killer with several other healing properties." Balthazar was hoping that Dave wouldn't be angry for being ignored regarding the pain relievers and since the boy had asked, he might as well learn something.

Instead of being angry, Dave gave a reluctant nod and began drinking the broth again.

At least Dave didn't notice the unusual flavor that the Capon's Tail caused so Balthazar wouldn't tell him about the third herb. After all, there was no point in telling Dave since he had already taken it.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave woke slowly from a deep and dreamless sleep. He felt safer than he had in years, but the constant aches and stabbing pain in his body were definite indicators that he was still in a fairly bad state. He had been put through the proverbial wringer before, but never had he been reduced to such a poor condition.

He took stock of his injuries, noting the aching in his ribs as well as the chills he associated with a fever. Well, the fever was expected as he had suffered through them before from magical exhaustion, and admittedly, he had broken bones before. But the extent of the damage this time was a bit , the discomfort he had been in earlier was reduced to a mild ache due to, he was assuming, the herb laden broth he had consumed.

Carefully levering himself up from the bed, Dave moved to explore the room he was in. There were no windows, which indicated that he was underground, but the room still had an almost homey feel to it. The bed was large and comfortable and he was standing on a thick, dark blue carpet. The desk, chair, wardrobe and bedside table all matched and looked fairly new. There were two doors in the room, one of which he had seen Balthazar exit earlier, which meant the other door probably led to a bathroom.

Gradually Dave made his way over to the second door to find a clean, small bathroom. On the counter next to the sink there was a variety of toiletries, linens and, best of all, fresh clothes. Moving over to the shower, he turned the tap as hot as it would go. Undressing quickly, he stepped in the shower, flinching at the heat until his body adjusted, before relaxing. The pounding of the hot water relieved the tension in his neck and shoulders.

Once clean Dave stepped out of the shower and dressed in the fresh sweatpants and sweatshirt since he still felt chilled from the fever. He made his way out of the bedroom and began heading down the hall with trepidation. He heard Balthazar's voice speaking quietly from behind a door at the end of the hall. Dave hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not he wanted to proceed, before pushing the door open.

Balthazar was sitting on a stool on the kitchen counter eating enough food for a small army and talking to…a bulldog. Balthazar seemed to sense another presence in the room and stopped his inane chattering to turn and regard Dave.

"Good, you're up. I thought you were going to sleep another day away." Balthazar smirked.

Dave, on the other hand, was shocked as he said, "_Another _day? How long was I asleep?"

"About forty hours now off and on." Replied Balthazar. "It was hardly unexpected, really. You obviously needed it. Your fever kept spiking, even with the herbs."

Dave was too stunned to say anything. Not once since he had been taken by Horvath had he been allowed to rest for recuperation. He couldn't think of the last time anyone had taken care of him period. Instead of answering, Dave turned his attention to the other occupant in the room.

The little bulldog had come racing over to inspect Dave as soon as he walked into the room. For his tenth birthday, just a few weeks before Horvath had kidnapped him, Dave's parents had bought a baby bulldog for him. Those memories tugged at his heart and Dave desperately wanted to kneel down and meet the little animal properly, but his ribs wouldn't allow for it without severe discomfort. Instead he settled for greeting it with a simple, "Hey, little guy," before moving to sit on the unoccupied stool.

Once settled at the counter next to Balthazar, the two sorcerers stared at each other awkwardly. Finally Dave asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, you didn't think I was going to let you rot in _that _hellhole, did you? I told you the other day that I would never leave you with that man." Balthazar's voice was thick with sincerity. "You were never meant to be Horvath's apprentice. You are the Prime Merlinian. You were supposed to be mine."

At those words Dave stiffened. However, a memory from when he was much younger, only ten or eleven, had been dredged up in the back of his mind.

_Nine Years Earlier_

_ Dave was supposed to be in his room, though it hadn't been a direct order, so the boy had slipped back out. He crept up to the doorway and peered around the corner into the penthouse parlor. Horvath was standing next to the fireplace facing a tall, well-built man with shoulder length, white-blonde hair. The tall man's tailcoat and heeled buckle boots would have looked out of place and old fashioned on anyone but him. The two men were clearly having an intense conversation._

_ "…absolutely incredible, Isaac. The natural power is unlike anything I've seen since Morgana. Balthazar's absence could not have been timed more perfectly." Horvath was using a voice he reserved only when bragging about his accomplishments._

_ Isaac was a bit more reserved as he said, "He could ruin us all. He's supposed to defeat Morgana, not help her."_

_ "That's neither here nor there. Soon he will be completely submissive, and when we find Morgana and release her she will be unstoppable with the Prime Merlinian at her side." There was a gleam in Horvath's eyes that hinted at the darkness that simmered underneath._

_ "And what of Balthazar? It's his job to protect the Prime Merlinian. He won't let this go without a fight." Isaac's British accent sounded decidedly irritated at the idea._

_ "If Balthazar is foolish enough to return you can be certain that the coward will perish."_

_Present Day_

Dave studied the man in front of him, trying to get a sense of his intentions. Despite Dave's apprehensions, there was something about Balthazar that was so honest that Dave desperately wanted to trust him.

Balthazar seemed to understand his reluctance and said, "I think this talk is about a decade overdue."

**SA-SA-SA**

Maxim Horvath was infuriated. He hadn't been so humiliated in over a century, not since Balthazar had trapped him in the Grimhold. Or the time before that, when they were still allies and _she _had come between them. To be shown up by the man yet again was unacceptable. After being subdued with his own protection wards and watching Balthazar help that insufferable boy, Horvath had tucked tail and run away.

The boy himself was another embarrassment. After all the years of effort Horvath had put into his training, the little whelp had never appreciated his position. He had never seen what an honor it was to serve under Horvath, the most powerful Morganian since Morgana herself. Well, it didn't matter anymore. Balthazar was back and had the boy. However, the fight to free Morgana was far from over. All Horvath needed was a little help.

**A/N:** A little longer this time, though not much. Sorry about the wait, but I did warn you that I won't always be able to update quickly.

Normally I would be thanking everyone for their reviews, but I want to get this posted a little faster because I need to go to sleep, so THANK YOU GUYS! Oh, and brownie points to whoever gets bored and wants to figure out what Capon's Tail is.

Until next time,

AJ


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: It wouldn't take long to list the things that I do own, but Sorcerer's Apprentice isn't one of them.

This chapter is for SiriusFan13!

**Chapter 8**

Dave and Balthazar sat in silence in the gleaming white and chrome kitchen, neither of them quite sure what to say. Dave pushed the eggs around on his plate with a piece of toast, still hungry after his enforced fast, but not really interested in eating regardless.

Finally Dave seemed to gather his courage and said, "So, the Prime Merlinian. Horvath mentioned that in passing, but he never explained it."

It came out as a statement more than a question, but Balthazar understood. Instead of answering Dave directly, Balthazar said, "Did you study from an Incantus?"

Dave nodded slowly, "Yeah, but I was only allowed to read about whatever I was being taught at the time. Horvath kept it under lock and key otherwise. I've covered a lot of offensive spells, glamours, manipulating matter, animating objects and…controlling free will."

Balthazar nodded, careful not to show his true feelings. "So I'm guessing you didn't have a chance to peruse some of the theoretical and historical chapters."

Dave gave him a blank stare, which Balthazar interpreted as a no.

"Well, I'll give you the abridged version of the Prime Merlinian's definition." Balthazar took a deep breath. "The Prime Merlinian is meant to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world. He's a direct descendant of Merlin himself and a direct channel for all of the knowledge and power that Merlin once held. You, Dave, are the Prime Merlinian. In addition to 'genetic memories' you have your own skills and abilities, the powers that you inherited just give you a boost."

Balthazar frowned when he saw Dave was shaking his head.

"I'm not the Prime Merlinian." Dave's voice was shaky and he refused to look Balthazar in the eyes.

"Dave, Merlinians ar-"

"Look, I know the difference between Morganians and Merlinians. I can't be a Merlinian." Dave's voice was strained through his clenched teeth.

Balthazar began to get a little bit frustrated by the younger man's denial. "Dave, you are a Merlinian. It's what you were born to be."

"No I can't! Don't you get it? Merlinians help people, they save them. If you knew-" Dave cut himself off as he stared stubbornly at the floor.

"If I knew what, Dave?" Contrary to what Dave seemed to believe, Balthazar had done some research while the young sorcerer had been unconscious. Balthazar had discovered that several of his former acquaintances had been murdered, and he knew who had killed them. The fact that Dave was not trying to hide his past spoke volumes about his character and impressed Balthazar.

"You don't know what I've done. The things I've done." Dave's voice was barely a whisper. Dave finally looked up before wincing at Balthazar's knowing gaze.

"Dave, the enchantment that you were bound to was very old and very powerful. I doubt I would have been able to fight it with as much success as you." Immediately Balthazar knew he had said the wrong thing as Dave's face closed off furiously. He had wanted the boy to vent his frustrations, but releasing ten years of pent up anger and magic might have unintended consequences.

"SUCCESS? I've killed people! People have died because I wasn't strong enough. And no matter what I do I will never be able to take that back." Dave's volatile temper tantrum ended as quickly as it had begun. He was clearly still too tired to keep up the tirade for long. When he spoke again, it was in a much softer, weary tone. "I tried once. To end it, I mean."

Whatever Balthazar had been expecting, that wasn't it. He felt as though the wind was being knocked out of him as he asked, "End it?"

Dave nodded solemnly, his eyes far away. "I was fifteen. I couldn't take it. All the death, all the pain. I just needed it to end. So I snuck a bottle into my room one night and smashed it when I knew Horvath was gone. I cut my wrists with the glass. I was _so_ close when Horvath found me. It was the first and only time he ever healed me."

Balthazar's vision became hazy from fury for a moment as he thought of Horvath before he composed himself again. "So, what happened?"

"Let's just say that I was…discouraged from ever attempting that again."

Balthazar had never thought that anyone as recalcitrant and stubborn as Dave seemed to be would have given up in such a manner. Then again, maybe those traits hadn't developed until the younger man truly thought that he had no way out. Instead of pressing the issues of the past, Balthazar decided that it was time to move the conversation forward.

"Look, Dave, you can believe what you want, but the fact remains that I need your help." Seeing that Dave seemed to respond to this tactic, Balthazar continued. "Now that I'm free, events that were at a standstill have been set in motion, that's the way the magical world works. With all of the players back in the game the fight can continue. Whether you like it or not, you are the only one who can end it."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are the only person who can defeat Morgana Le Fay, the most powerful dark sorceress to ever exist." They had finally reached the topic that both thrilled Balthazar and terrified him. Before Dave had a chance to protest again, Balthazar continued. "Look, you don't have to believe me, I guess, but I'm telling the truth."

Dave still seemed hesitant so Balthazar tried another approach.

"Fine, I'll make you a bargain. Help me guard the Grimhold, figure out how to destroy Morgana and defeat Horvath. In the meantime, I will train you and help keep you safe." Balthazar saw Dave's skeptical smirk. "The two of us should be more than a match for Horvath. And if we live through all of that, then you walk away with whatever you want. A new name, a new life and you never have to think about this world again. So, do we have a deal?"

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath stalked into the tall building sneering angrily at the doorman. The man at his own building had refused to let Horvath enter saying that the sorcerer had been evicted. Balthazar had clearly done some fancy spell work to reverse the powerful enchantments. With nowhere else to go, Horvath went out to find some of his more powerful allies.

Hence the reason he was now taking an elevator up to the top floor of a different apartment building. When he stepped out of the elevator, Horvath wrinkled his nose in distaste. This was…not what he expected. Gaudy, kitschy paintings and posters covered the walls while various trophies and awards for a 'Drake Stone' were displayed on several tables. Horvath could hear voices filtering in from another room.

"…but I would like a tiger. If I could get, like, a tiger jumping out of the leopard. That's not been done, I'm sure."

Horvath followed the voice into a large sitting room to see a young, perhaps two or three years older than David, sitting in a large recliner surrounded by several women. Horvath smirked at the absurd scene. "Oh, do tell me this is a joke."

All of the room's occupants turned to look at the intruder, before the young man, presumably Drake Stone, asked. "Sorry, are you lost?"

Horvath refrained from rolling his eyes. "You're what passes for a Morganian these days?"

He watched as the young man's eyes widened. "Maxim Horvath! You are one smokin' bada-"

"Please excuse us, ladies." Horvath cut Drake off mid-sentence before the foolish boy could say something regrettable.

"Yes, excuse us ladies." Drake voice took on a patronizing tone as he was clearly attempting to impress Horvath.

As the women filed out of the room, Horvath fixed Drake with a condescending stare. "So, they tell me you're some kind of entertainer."

"Four sold-out shows at the garden _plus_ a show on pay-per-view-" Drake jumped as he was cut off as the books on his desk went flying into the wall from a spell from Horvath's cane.

"Did you ever hear of Morgana pulling a rabbit out of a hat?" Horvath's voice was furious as he berated the younger man.

"Look, my master left me when I was fifteen. Left me with an Incantus and some prescription grade abandonment issues!" Clearly Drake did not appreciate being abased by a man he had never even met.

Horvath, on the other hand, was irritated by the implications of Drake's so called abandonment. If Drake's master was truly gone, Horvath would be deprived of a very powerful ally. He couldn't honestly blame Isaac for leaving the boy, but a forwarding address would have been nice. Cursing that he had not stayed in touch with Isaac, Horvath looked back at Drake, considering. For the time being he merely needed a second set of hands, someone who could cast reasonably well and help out if he was in a bind.

With a sigh of resignation, Horvath decided that he didn't have much choice. "Balthazar Blake has returned. And he has the Prime Merlinian on his side, I'm certain. If they retrieve the Grimhold you can be sure that they will find a way to destroy Morgana. I need your help."

Drake didn't even hesitate. "Count me in."

**SA-SA-SA**

After his discussion with Balthazar the day before, Dave had agreed to Balthazar's terms before going back to sleep. When he had woken again a few hours later, it was early morning and he felt very refreshed, but desperate for a chance to be outside. Dave had written a quick note that he left on the kitchen counter and then headed for the door. The bulldog had followed him from the kitchen, looking at him with pathetic puppy eyes until Dave relented. The young man found a piece of rope, which he easily transfigured into a collar and leash, and soon man and dog were out at street level.

Thankfully, Dave recognized the area that they were in; he was just a few minutes away from NYU. Dave walked along the street with the little bulldog in tow, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air and freedom. Everything was still so different to him and admittedly the adjustment was a little difficult. He longed to stretch his legs by running, or at least jogging, but he was still too sore to do so. As he walked, his mind wandered, thinking about his new freedom and all of the things he planned to do when he fulfilled his end of the bargain.

"Dave!" A yell from the radio station across the street brought Dave back to the present. He looked over to see a blonde blur running towards him before coming to a halt in front of him. "Hey, do you remember me from the other night?"

Dave couldn't stop himself from grinning like an idiot at the serendipitous occurrence. "Becky, right? How could I forget?"

Becky smiled, obviously pleased that he remembered her. "I know I kind of jumped you the other day when I asked you out. Now that the adrenaline is gone from me being in mortal peril, I saw you and I figured I'd give it another go. Would you like to get some coffee with me?"

Dave felt his jaw drop. He was certain that after he had turned her down so rudely before that she wouldn't bother asking again, or accepting if he had asked, for that matter. But there she was, as bold as ever, looking at him like she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I would love to get some."

They walked in step with each other, talking casually about the weather and Becky's classes. When Dave heard that Becky was having difficulties understanding her physics class, Dave immediately offered to help. He may have been lacking a formal education but Horvath had allowed Dave to read book, especially regarding math and science, as those subjects were often relevant to magic. When it came to physics, Dave was more than a natural, he was a genius.

As they sat down at the little café a few blocks from where they had met, Becky noticed Dave wince.

"Are you okay?" She sounded so genuinely concerned that Dave felt flattered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… had a little running accident." He hoped that she didn't notice the hesitation in his voice. Thankfully, she didn't seem to.

They sat at the outdoor café tables for over an hour, with Dave reevaluating her physics work and attempting to make her laugh. Becky, meanwhile, did everything she could to keep making Dave smile. She had noticed that he was hurting and not feeling his best, but he didn't want to leave. He wanted to be around her.

Finally they stood and began heading back the way they had come. When they got back to the radio station, neither seemed to know what to say. It was Dave who broke the silence before he could lose his nerve.

"So, do you want to-"

"Yes!"

"Great! How about Mond-"

"Perfect! I'll meet you at the cafe, same time?" Becky sounded nervous as well, which surprised Dave.

"It's a date."

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar saw the change in Dave the second the younger man walked into the room. Dave looked like he was walking on cloud nine; he was like a totally different person. Then he noticed the look in Dave's eyes and recognized it as one he had seen in his own eyes countless times. The only thing Balthazar could think was, 'Oh, crap.'

"Hello, Dave." Balthazar fought to keep an amused smirk off his face.

"Hey." Clearly Dave's love-addled mind wasn't going to be able to produce more than monosyllabic answers until Dave came back to the present.

"What's her name?"

That snapped the young sorcerer back to himself. With a cautious look at Balthazar, Dave carefully composed his features. "Who are you talking about?"

Balthazar sighed as he realized it would probably be a long time before Dave actually trusted him. "If you don't want to tell me, fine. Just be aware, I will not hurt you and therefore I will never hurt someone you care for. If you ever feel like you need help protecting someone, just ask. Contrary to what you seem to believe, I do want to help you, Dave."

With that said, Balthazar moved to leave.

"Wait." Balthazar turned to see Dave fidgeting, indecision written all over his features. "Her name is Becky. I had a crush on her when we were kids and I met her again recently. It's just, if my master ever finds out he'll kill her."

"First of all, that man is _not_ your master. Not anymore. And secondly, if he wants to kill her, or you, he has to go through me." Balthazar meant every word and his honesty was evident to Dave, who nodded.

"I just don't know if I'm strong enough to do this."

Balthazar was surprised at Dave's admission. It seemed that Dave didn't even realize how extraordinary his advanced abilities were. Unsure of what to say to that, Balthazar fell back against the age-old lifesaver of quoting. "'Love give me strength, and strength will help me through.'"

At Dave's odd look, Balthazar merely shrugged. "It seemed appropriate."

"Was that a quote?" Asked Dave, incredulously.

"Yes, from- wait, you didn't read 'Romeo and Juliet?" Balthazar had thought it was pretty standard reading, but then he remembered whom he was talking to.

"Well, forgive me but my formal education was rather lacking. That's not generally on a fifth grade syllabus." Dave said with a snort.

Balthazar suppressed his irritation at Horvath. "Just one more thing for us to work on, I suppose."

**A/N: **So here's another chapter. A little dark in the beginning, I know. Hmm, so I hope I got most of the quotes right for the Drake/Horvath meeting. I haven't seen the movie since theaters, but I'm good at memorizing things, so they seemed about right.

I'm surprised no one ventured a guess about Isaac's identity, but he will be Drake's master in this story, so he is coming back.

Um, congrats to everyone who figured out what Capon's Tail is. Yes, it is used to help people sleep. Since it was 'magically enhanced' in this story it's very strong. Maybe I should ask more random questions just for the heck of it. Trivia's always good to know.

Now I seem to be rambling. Right.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**: Please don't hate me! (Peeks out from behind pillow fort) I am sooooooooooo sorry that I took so long to update. I have an amazing, chaotic, wonderful, topsy-turvy life that makes me thrilled to get up each morning.

It also, unfortunately, sometimes means that I go to sleep and wake up the same morning for a very physically and mentally taxing day or week as the case may be. But I love it and I'm so happy to be home and working with people that mean the world to me.

So my apologies and thanks to everyone who reviewed for me. Special thanks to Arlothia and SiriusFan. Thanks again!

AJ

Disclaimer: Despite my best efforts, I still don't own it.

**Chapter 9**

Three days had passed since Dave had awoken in the underground hideout and a day since he had fully recovered from his injuries. Being 'magical' had certainly aided the speed for the healing process. Once Dave had learned, both from Balthazar and the Incantus, how to heal himself, he had progressed rapidly. Dave had clearly never understood how strong he truly was and being able to feel the full power of his abilities was obviously overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge about using his full abilities was causing quite a problem for the two sorcerers. Seeing how Dave had never had to curb his talents, since they were controlled by Horvath, he needed to learn how to handle his emotions more appropriately. The younger man had not realized that magic often reacted to the users feelings until one had a complete reign on one's abilities.

Several times Dave had become startled, causing any delicate objects in his vicinity to shatter. At one point he made his furniture burst into flames during what seemed to be violent nightmare. However, other emotions seemed to cause different reactions. For example, one evening Balthazar had been reading when he noticed a puddle on the floor began to freeze and create spectacular patterns. When Balthazar had looked up at Dave, who was studying the Incantus, he noticed the unfocused, dreamy look that had crossed Dave's features. Balthazar had the exact same look when he thought about his own true love.

Each time one of these incidents occurred, Dave would flinch and seem to debate with his fight or flight response. Balthazar noticed this and was careful to not even react to the magical outbursts. He would merely ask Dave, very politely, to clean up whatever mess he made. While their alliance was still on tenterhooks, there was no denying that Dave was slowly beginning to trust Balthazar.

Once Dave had made a full recovery, Balthazar decided it was time to retrieve the Grimhold in order to imprison Horvath once again so that Dave could train until he was ready to face him. Naturally Dave refused to be left out of the retrieval mission. Balthazar resigned himself to have Dave tagging along; torn between being thankful for the extra help and worry that Horvath would show up and hurt or kill the younger man.

On the way there, Balthazar and Dave discussed how to obtain the Grimhold. Balthazar explained that the spells that he had used to hide the object were extremely powerful and often became more so with time. This meant that undoing the enchantments would leave Balthazar almost completely drained of energy. Therefore, Dave would be performing any of the minor magic that the mission required so that Balthazar could save his strength.

As Dave and Balthazar finally approached the building that had once been the Arcana Cabana it was nearing one in the morning. With a quick glance around to ensure their solitude, the two sorcerers jogged up the stairs. Dave required little more than a thought to manipulate the building's security system with magic. Another touch of magic and the door of the shop swung open silently.

Balthazar glanced at Dave as they crossed the threshold of the shop and noticed the younger man's discomfort as he was seemingly overwhelmed by conflicting feelings as they entered the same building that had changed both of their live so drastically. Packages along the wall began to tremble as Dave's magic manifested without his consent. Before Balthazar even had time to warn Dave, however, the younger man had taken a deep breath and the objects ceased shaking.

Balthazar nodded in approval and Dave turned away, smiling slightly. More and more often Balthazar noticed how happy even the smallest hint of approval could make Dave.

In the shop, Dave and Balthazar moved to the center of the room to approximately the same spot where Balthazar had caused the Grimhold to vanish. Dave shuddered and Balthazar realized that the younger man could feel the residue from the powerful spell that had seeped into the very walls of the building.

"So where did you send it? Horvath went over this store dozens of times and couldn't figure it out." Dave's voice held both fascination and caution.

Balthazar smiled grimly, slowly moving around the space as if looking for something. "I didn't send it anywhere. I figured that Horvath would assume that I teleported it. The fact of the matter is I just hid it, in a manner of speaking."

At Dave's raised eyebrows Balthazar continued, "There are other worlds all around us, existing in the same place, but on a different plane or dimension. It's possible to move from one world to another, but it costs so much energy that the journey is likely to kill the traveler."

"So you sent it to another dimension?" Asked Dave for clarification.

Balthazar shook his head as he continued his seemingly random perusal of the store. "No. I'm sure Horvath checked for that as well. Besides, without my following it, it could have ended up in anyone's hands."

"So where is it then?" Dave was clearly tiring of the older man's roundabout answers.

"It's between worlds." Dave continued to stare at him incredulously and Balthazar screwed his eyes shut. "Okay, picture two rooms that are joined, but the doorway that connects them has two doors to open before you can pass. Well, I opened the first door but not the second. I left the second door locked and put the Grimhold between the first and second door again so that only I could open it. Make sense?"

Dave nodded thoughtfully, "So that's what the runes are for? They're your key?"

Balthazar looked at Dave, surprised, "The runes are very subtle. I'm impressed that you even noticed them. However, to answer your question, yes, they work like a key. They will also prevent any excess magic from leaving the perimeter. We don't want to accidentally level every store on the block."

Silence reined in the store for the next few minutes as Balthazar continued to place ruins around the room. Dave watched quietly until Balthazar came to a halt in the center of the room. "Okay, it's all set to go. Remember, once I've grabbed the Grimhold we need to get back to the safe house as fast as possible. We're dealing with powerful magic and Horvath will sense it if he's looking for it."

Dave nodded, his jaw set determinedly. Balthazar took a deep breath and closed his eyes as pale blue fire sprung up around him. Wind tugged at the clothing of both magicians and the smell of ozone filled the air. Bright light filled the room and Dave was forced to clench his eyes shut at the sight.

Balthazar forced himself to keep looking at the light despite the growing intensity. He reached towards the luminescence and felt a burning sensation as his fingers touched the liquid heat. With a yell he thrust his entire arm into the portal and grasped the Grimhold, yanking it back into his own world.

The light faded as Balthazar gasped in pain. He looked at Dave, whose gaze was fixed firmly on Balthazar's right arm. Balthazar looked down and immediately regretted it. From fingertip to elbow, Balthazar's arm was covered in burns of varying degrees. Blood and clear fluid oozed from the cracked skin that looked like it had been hit by lightning.

Balthazar barely had time to register that he had indeed retrieved the Grimhold before the fatigue he had foreseen hit him like a charging bull. He was so tired that he couldn't even feel Dave catch him and haul his arm around the younger man's shoulders. The Grimhold was tucked safely into the messenger bag that Dave carried.

The young sorcerer kept up a steady stream of mindless chatter in an attempt to keep Balthazar from passing out. They made their way down the block towards the car slowly with Dave practically dragging Balthazar along. They had almost made it to the car when the hairs on the back of Dave's neck began to stand up with the familiar tingling sensation that always spelled danger.

Carefully Dave lowered Balthazar to the ground and propped him against a parked car, making certain that the older man's injure limb didn't get jostled. Balthazar was slipping in and out of consciousness. Quickly Dave racked his brain to remember some of the spells that he had recently learned. Finally he uttered, "Nerian mann."

A transparent veil settled over Balthazar and the Grimhold he held in his lap and Dave stood up, looking around suspiciously. Dave could feel his magic coursing through his veins as he tensed himself for the confrontation that he could feel building.

"So you're the Prime Merlinian. Don't look like much, do you mate?" Dave whipped around to look at the accented speaker. The tall young man looked to be in his mid-twenties with bleach-white hair and was wearing a deep purple tailcoat and high-heeled buckle boots. They rang of familiarity to Dave, who almost laughed outright at the absurdity of the outfit.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I don't want any trouble. Just leave." Dave held the other man's gaze firmly.

"You don't know _who I am?_" The look on the man's face was so pompous and affronted Dave found himself fighting not to snigger.

"Don't know, don't care. All I want is to be left alone. Got it?" Dave kept his tone light, but the energy crackling at his fingertips told a different story.

"You always did prefer talking your way out of situations, David."

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath took in the situation instantly, noting the shield over Balthazar and the steadfast stance David held. The instant he had spoken, David had moved from being cautious straight into a defensive position. The boy's face wasn't afraid or nervous as Horvath had expected. Instead he was clearly prepared to fight and fight hard. Horvath had to admit that a bristling and defensive David was far more interesting as opposed to subdued.

It was a pity that the boy had never behaved this way in supporting Horvath. They would have made an unstoppable force. Horvath let out a weary sigh and pointed with his cane at Balthazar. "So, David, I see you've made a new friend. How quaint."

David continued to fix Horvath with a stony glare, clearly making certain to keep both Drake and Horvath in his line of sight. Drake had clearly become bored already by the proceedings, short as they were, and was beginning to rock back and forth on his heels. Horvath rolled his eyes in irritation and turned back to David.

"We both know what happens next David. We fight, I win, take the Grimhold and leave you and Balthazar to die. However, I don't really feel like wasting my time and energy on bringing about the inevitable, so I propose a bargain." Horvath was smiling unpleasantly and looked pointedly at Balthazar. "Give the Grimhold to me right now and we'll let you go, no harm, no foul, and we all live to fight another day."

"No, no way." David was shaking his head.

Drake moved towards the younger man but halted when twin orbs of energy began forming in David's hands. David's voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper. "If either of you come any closer, I _will_ kill you."

Horvath was actually startled by the ferocity in the young man's voice. Never had he heard David speak to anyone in such a manner and it infuriated him. He had raised the ungrateful wretch, trained him and given him an opportunity that others would have killed for and the boy was threatening _him. _ The idea that Balthazar had gained loyalty from David after a matter of days was the final straw. With a shout of fury, Horvath aimed his walking stick at David and a plasma bolt shot out of the end.

He underestimated, however, just how well he had trained David, regardless of what he had previously thought. David effortlessly deflected the bolt, sending it careening into Drake, who landed on his rear. Faster than Horvath would have believed, David responded instantaneously with his own plasma bolt, throwing it directly at Horvath, who was too surprised to escape it.

Before Horvath or Drake could regain their feet, an enormous, blindingly bright magical light covered the street. By the time it cleared and the two Morganians could see again, the other two sorcerers had disappeared.

**A/N: **Trivia for this chapter: Dave says a spell. What language is it and what does it mean?

Yes it's a filler chapter, but I needed to just continue the story line. The next chapter should be better.

So, yeah, slower updates than I want. Probably because my days are "Oh my gosh!" jump up and down exciting and "Oh my gosh" bang my head against the wall.

This is still my favorite outlet, but I'll admit that lately I've bitten off a little more than I can chew. But writing helps me wind down and relax, so I still plan to stick with it.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Well, I own Isaac's character. And a really beat up pick-up.

**Chapter 10**

Dave navigated through the streets cautiously, desperately thankful that he had managed to magic the car so that it drove for him, more or less. The old auto had been owned by a magician for so long that it was extremely cooperative when it came to enchantments. Dave sighed with relief as they pulled up in front of the alley leading to their subway home. He glanced over at Balthazar, whose eyes were half open as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The older sorcerer had been muttering incoherently for several minutes and Dave was becoming more and more worried.

"C'mon buddy, just a little further." Dave said as he hauled Balthazar gently out of the car, catching the Grimhold as it tumbled from the messenger bag.

By the time Dave managed to drag Balthazar back into the subway station and get him settled on the couch, the sun had already risen.

Dave checked the clock on the wall and realized that it was Monday and he was due for his date with Becky in an hour. "Damnit."

"You got somewhere to be?" Dave turned around in relief as Balthazar stirred.

"No, not really, just…no." Dave paused awkwardly.

Balthazar sat up looking stronger by the minute, but winced when he glanced at his arm. "You really are the most dreadful liar. Did we win, at least?"

"I'd say it was more of a draw. But we got the Grimhold." Dave said as he moved to pull all of Balthazar's healing ointments from the shelves in the kitchen. Grimacing in sympathy, Dave brought the medicine back over to Balthazar, who quickly began spreading the smelly salves on the injured limb. Once the salve was applied, both men gritted their teeth firmly while Dave wrapped clean bandages around the arm.

Once that was done, Dave rose and retrieved the Grimhold, handing it to Balthazar. Balthazar took it with his good hand and examined it thoughtfully. "Now that we have it we can start working on spells to destroy the Morganians trapped inside."

Dave nodded intently. "When do we start?"

"After I've had some sleep. In the meantime we'll put this where a Morganian can't get to it." Balthazar rose and Dave followed. The older sorcerer placed the doll on a table and gestured for Dave to bring the Incantus. Balthazar flipped through the pages of the massive book before pointing at a specific spell. "You'll have to perform it. It should keep any Morganians from entering a specific area, but it takes a lot of power, so it can only cover a small space."

Dave nodded and began copying the symbols from the book onto the table with a piece of chalk. Once he finished, Dave stepped back, scrutinizing his work carefully. Checking the book once again, Dave invoked, "Nyllan Morganian nirewett."

The symbols glowed momentarily before burning blackly into the wood. Dave grinned, obviously pleased with his handiwork. "So, I guess that's it."

"That's good work. Now I suggest we both get some rest before tackling this problem tomorrow." Balthazar watched as Dave glanced at the clock yet again. The young man was tapping his feet and fidgeting slightly, unsure of what to say. Balthazar took pity on the young sorcerer and said, "Look, wherever you wanted to be, whatever you were planning to do, don't. Horvath and his little friend are ready for a fight. If you go out in the open and he finds you, we're both dead."

Dave nodded glumly. "I guess. It's just Becky-"

"-will be a lot safer once we have taken care of the Morganian threat. There will be plenty of time for dating _after _we defeat Morgana." Balthazar turned to head back to his own room. "Besides, if Becky likes you, she'll understand. And she likes you."

Dave stared after him incredulously. "How do you know she likes me?"

"What's not to like?"

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath sat in the high-backed chair tapping his fingers rapidly against the desk in irritation. Though he could feel the grimhold, Horvath could not pinpoint its' location, which was incredibly frustrating. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, straining to strengthen his connection to the doll.

Suddenly he felt a dark presence reach back towards him from the grimhold that he recognized. With a start Horvath's eyes snapped open and he grinned. If he could sense the inhabitants of the grimhold, then with enough power, he might be able to release at least the last Morganian that had been imprisoned.

"Stone, get in here!" Yelled Horvath angrily.

Drake moseyed into the room chewing carelessly on a donut. "Yeah, what?" Crumbs sprayed from his mouth as he spoke.

Horvath sneered disdainfully as he spoke. "I need power, more than either of us can provide."

"And what, exactly, do you want me to do about that?"

The younger man's sarcastic tone made Horvath grind his teeth, but he let it slide. "Surely at some point in your 'career' you made acquaintances with other young Morganians like yourself. I want you to introduce me."

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave made certain that Balthazar was asleep before slipping quietly from the subway station. He ran to the coffee shop knowing that he was over two hours late. As he paused in front of the large picture window he was grateful to see that Becky was still in the shop. Dave moved to step through the door but he stopped once again when he saw another handsome young man set coffee down in front of her and take a seat.

Without a second thought Dave turned and left. Walking down the street Dave began to berate himself angrily. "Stupid, stupid Dave. Of course there's another guy. Stupid."

"Dave wait!" Dave turned out the sound of Becky's voice and the tap of her shoes as she sprinted after him. She was panting as she caught up with him. "Hey, I was hoping that you'd show."

Dave looked at her guiltily. "Yeah, I just got caught up in my…work. I wouldn't have stood up on purpose, I swear."

"Why were you leaving then?" She seemed genuinely confused.

"Well I saw you with that guy and I just-"

"Assumed I was with him?" Dave nodded awkwardly. Becky continued, grinning. "He's my producer, Andre. He saw me sitting there and we were going over my next show."

"So you're not, you know, together?" Dave began feeling hopeful again.

"God no, he's a total ass!" She was laughing now. "Did you really think that one botched date was going to make me hate you?"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the shop. "Come on, it's your turn to buy."

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath stepped over the two bodies of the young Morganians as he felt the power coursing through his veins. Drake's face had gone pale as he looked at his two former acquaintances. "Oi, I didn't think you were gonna kill them."

"Better them than you, Stone." Horvath's face was pitiless as he walked over to the windows of the townhouse and looked out over the city. "Now be quiet. I need to concentrate."

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar woke slowly feeling partially restored. His magic was still not at full capacity, but he was well enough to fight. He rose and unwrapped his heavily bandaged arm, noticing that the limb was still an angry red color with skin peeling off. The offending arm ached all the way down to the bone, but he did have complete use of it. Magical injuries were always tricky that way.

Glancing at the clock he saw that it was late evening. Balthazar stretched and yawned before leaving the room.

Dave was leaning over the Incantus sound asleep when Balthazar walked into the make shift living room. Balthazar smirked at the younger man and tapped his arm. "Dave, wake up."

"I'm awake." Dave shot up from his seat, leaving a damp mark on the table.

Balthazar took in the young man's appearance critically. "Dave, why are you all wet?"

"Because it was raining outside." Dave answered slowly.

"Then why were you outside?"

Dave looked up at the ceiling and blew air through his teeth before saying, "I just needed some air."

Balthazar rolled his eyes knowingly and Dave knew that he was busted. "Dave, I commiserate with your circumstances but can you please eschew from your saccharine endeavors at paying court until after we deal with the Morganians?"

Dave looked slightly confused at the old fashioned wording and Balthazar sighed. "You don't get the girl until we get the bad guys. Get it?"

"Got it." It was Dave's turn to sigh. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's destroy some evil- Hey Balthazar, are you doing that?"

Balthazar followed Dave's gaze to the brightly glowing grimhold. "No. Dave, something's wrong. Start setting up containment spells."

Before either of them could begin the enchantments white light flashed through the room. When it cleared an angry looking Chinese sorcerer stood next to the table holding the Grimhold.

**SA-SA-SA**

Horvath grinned when he felt Son-Lok escape from the miniscule prison. He was now able to communicate with his old ally much more effectively. Horvath could feel the other sorcerers desire for revenge, but he couldn't allow it yet. If Son-Lok was defeated before he had taken the Grimhold then not only would Horvath be down an ally, but he wouldn't have the energy to break the next seal in the doll.

In his mind he demanded that Son-Lok leave the two Merlinians until another time. Finally he felt the other man reluctantly comply.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave and Balthazar were ready for a fight, but they weren't ready for the Morganian to bolt. With astonishing speed the inimical sorcerer darted for the stairs.

"We can't let him see where we are." Balthazar yelled to Dave, who nodded. With a muttered incantation Dave caused the stairs to collapse and begin to twist around Son-Lok in an attempt to imprison him. Balthazar started to magically seal the exits of the subway station.

They miscalculated exactly how fast their opponent was. With an agility that would have made any professional gymnast proud Son-Lok leapt out of the imprisoning staircase and began scaling towards the exit. Right before he reached the door Dave muttered the only spell that he could think of. With another flash of light Son-Lok disappeared.

Dave turned towards Balthazar looking incredibly guilty. "Well, at least he won't know where we are. But now we have to go find him."

"Dave, do you know where you sent him at least?"

Dave nodded. "Yeah. He's somewhere in China Town. It was the only place I could think of. On the bright side, at least Horvath has to look for him too."

Balthazar almost smiled at the statement. As both men headed out the door Balthazar couldn't refrain from adding, "If I didn't know better, Dave, I'd say you were becoming an optimist."

**SA-SA-SA**

**JFK International Airport**

All of the flight attendants were giggling about the handsome, well-spoken, mild-mannered gentleman sitting it first class. They had been enjoying his company so much that they were actually sorry that their flight had arrived on time. As the object of their focus made to leave one of the bolder flight attendants stuck out her hand. "Thank you for flying with us Mr. Jones."

Instead of shaking her hand as the woman had intended, the handsome stranger took it and brushed his lips against her knuckles, causing her to blush. "The pleasure was all mine, ladies. And if we ever meet again, please, call me Isaac."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: By now you'd think the know.

**Chapter 11**

"Well he can't be that hard to find. I mean this is _modern _New York." Said Dave as they headed through a back alley towards China town. The magical resonance that the doll was giving off made it fairly easy for the two sorcerers to track. "Even in China town not a lot of people go around in bright yellow monk robes and half shave…I spoke to soon."

Balthazar and Dave emerged on the streets filled with a mass of robed people celebrating the Chinese New Year. Balthazar raised his eyebrows and looked at Dave, who was gripping his hair with both hands as though preparing to rip it out in frustration. Sweeping the crowd with a steady gaze Balthazar smiled sarcastically. "Well this is just _perfect. _Let's split up and see what we can find. If you come across anything just call me telepathically."

"We can do that?" Dave expression was incredulous as he shook his head. "Wait a second, I'm not sure if splitting up is a good idea in the first place. You're injured, if you recall."

"And you're lanky and underweight but let's try to not dwell on the obvious." Balthazar smirked and headed off to the left leaving Dave to stare after him.

Dave began weaving through the crowd feeling slightly out of place. His 'sheltered' lifestyle had given him an aversion to crowds, especially crowds where he stood out so distinctly. Sighing Dave brushed confetti from his hair, nodded politely to the old Chinese couple staring at him and continued his search. Neither of them noticed the shadow that had begun tailing them the block before

**SA-SA-SA**

Balthazar jogged up the stairs to the Chinese apothecary where he sensed the Grimhold's presence. Reaching out with his mind he felt Dave's consciousness and silently spoke, 'Dave, follow my trail. I've found the Grimhold.'

He could sense Dave's timid and then irritable reply. 'Fine, now get out of my head.'

Clutching his injured arm closer to his chest, Balthazar opened the door to the apothecary only to slam it shut as Son-Lok flung hundreds of needles towards his face. As the last of the projectiles thudded into the door Balthazar blasted the door with a wave of energy. He barely caught sight of the Morganian sorcerer being thrown out of the window and Balthazar straightened as he turned to confront the real threat in the room.

SA-SA-SA

Whatever Dave had been expecting when he arrived at the old building, Son-Lok falling out of the sky almost into his lap hadn't been in the picture. The Chinese sorcerer could clearly tell that Dave was a fellow magic user despite Dave's attempt to seem non-threatening. Dave didn't want people to be injured or killed needlessly during a magical showdown with a three hundred year old magician.

Grinning harmlessly Dave slowly backed away from the other sorcerer before dashing away madly in the hopes of drawing the man away from the crowd. It wasn't long before Dave noticed that, despite his intent, he was not being followed by the sorcerer. Instead a rather large and scaly beast had reared its' ugly head and Dave closed his eyes for a moment, exasperated. "A dragon. Really?"

SA-SA-SA

In the apothecary Horvath stood hidden behind a doorframe waiting for Balthazar to make a mistake. He was so intent upon catching his quarry that he failed to notice the wooden beads from the curtain wrapping themselves around him until it was to late. The beads yanked him from his hiding place and pulled his staff straight from his hand.

"Be still." Balthazar's voice was deadly serious. The Merlinian sorcerer called the Grimhold away from Horvath with a flick of his wrist. Horvath stared at the other man angrily, daring Balthazar to kill him. For a moment it looked as though the Merlinian sorcerer was tempted to do so despite his philosophy, until a cacophony of screams echoed from the street below.

With one last look at his former friend, Balthazar fled to the window and jumped out into the night below.

**SA-SA-SA**

Even though he was accustomed to running and had an excellent stamina, Dave was reaching the end of his rope. Between the heist the night before, taking care of Balthazar, his date with Becky and his current predicament, by his own estimate Dave hadn't rested in nearly forty hours. Diving into an apartment building Dave tried to catch a second wind, which was quickly cut off by the fire-breathing lizard that had been chasing him for the past several blocks.

Dave dashed up multiple flights of stairs, listening as the dragon followed him up landing after landing. Making a swift decision Dave threw himself into an apartment and rushed out of the window onto a fire escape. He was thankful that there were no civilians to get in the way. Several stories below David could make out the figure of Son Lok as the evil mage controlled the dragon.

The dragon busted out of the window a floor below Dave and began clawing its' way up the building to get at the Merlinian. Taking deep breaths Dave allowed his mind to go blank and think of nothing but the magic. He couldn't help but grin as he felt the power enter his mind and body. Relaxing his stance he released a massive fireball at the dragons head and neck, which immediately burst into flame.

With an animalistic scream the dragon fell to the street, crushing Son Lok under its' flaming mass. Dave allowed himself a small, celebratory moment before sprinting down the stairs. Balthazar was leaning against the building with a triumphant look on his face when Dave emerged. "Nicely done, if a little theatrical."

Dave didn't even have time to reply when he felt a shift in his magic. Looking down Dave noticed that he was dressed as a cop. A quick glance at Balthazar confirmed that the other man was in the same state. Worst of all, they both had mustaches. Before Dave could say anything a pair of real cops began approaching them. "Hey, did you guys see anything?"

In an outrageously phony accent that the cops thankfully didn't notice, Balthazar replied, "You know, bottle rocket meets paper dragon. It lit the whole parade up like fire cracker."

"We got folks callin' in saying there was a real dragon." The older police officer was looking around suspiciously.

Balthazar grinned cheekily and said, "Some of these folks have been hitting the sake a little hard, if you know what I mean."

"Actually sake is Japanese." Dave interjected awkwardly. Balthazar and the two cops eyed the young magic user crankily.

"Whatever. If you see anything, call it in." The two cops moved off to control the crowd while the two sorcerers walked away unnoticed.

"Really? Sake's Japanese? That's the only thing that you could think to say?" Balthazar rolled his eyes, slightly amused and slightly annoyed.

"Okay, again with the lack of education. I remembered that from a field trip to the Asian Art Museum when I was _eight._" Dave threw his arms up in the air. "I thought I should contribute. And by the way, look at how you dressed. You have a mustache and you say I'm theatrical?"

"Well until we've had a chance to get your grade school education up to speed your verbal assistance isn't necessary." Balthazar muttered irritably as they walked towards a quiet alleyway, the glamour melting off of them.

However, both men stopped when, a moment later, a voice rang out behind them. "Do you want to tell me what the hell that was?"

Dave and Balthazar turned slowly to look at the terrified face of Becky Barnes.

**SA-SA-SA**

The moment Becky had confronted the two sorcerers, Balthazar had bailed with nothing more than a, "Good luck with this."

Furious, Becky had dragged Dave to a small twenty-four hour café where she demanded to be told the truth. As bad as he was at lying, when it came to talking about his magic, Dave was rubbish at telling the truth.

"So, I can speed time up, slow it down, control elements, heal things. I can do a lot more, but it would take years to be able to explain the details." Dave had just finished telling the cliff notes of his life story to Becky, who stared at the man she had thought was lost as a child.

In utter bewilderment Becky nodded, attempting to allow all of the information to sink in. "I just can't believe that's where you've been all these years. It's horrible."

Dave shrugged. "Look, Balthazar took me in and I'll never have to go back to Horvath. In the meantime, since you know about me, understand that there may come a time when I ask you to run, or hide, or stay put. You have to promise that if a time like that comes you'll do what I say. Do you promise?"

Becky stared at the young man before slowly nodding her head. "I promise."

Leaning forward tentatively, Becky sealed the deal with a soft kiss.

**SA-SA-SA**

On the other side of the diner a young man with bleach-blonde hair sat staring at the menu, as he had been for the entirety of his stay. Every time his waitress tried to approach he would wave her off so that he could focus his attention on the young couple in the booth several tables down.

Drake Stone scoffed when the young woman sitting with the Prime Merlinian leaned across the table to kiss the boy. It was inconceivable that the scrawny whelp had managed to snag a gorgeous girl like the one he was currently snogging. Finally the young couple left the restaurant and headed out the door. Drake stood and, ignoring the scowling waitress, headed out the door and made a beeline back to Horvath.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave was whistling happily when he practically skipped back into the subway station. Balthazar raised his eyebrows, "So I guess she took it well?"

Dave grinned broadly, "She was stoked! Can you believe it? The girl of my dreams knows who I am and likes me for it."

With a dramatic sigh, Dave flopped onto the couch. The little bulldog scampered over and began licking Dave's face enthusiastically. However, even the fate of being slimed by dog drool didn't dampen Dave's spirit.

Balthazar, on the other hand, refused to be anything but candid with the boy. "You do realize the immense danger this can place her in?"

Dave shrugged. "I can protect her. After all, I'm the Prime Merlinian, nothing is going to happen."

**SA-SA-SA**

Back at Horvath and Drake's hideout the older sorcerer had slammed the younger one into the wall. "Where were you when I needed you? Because of you not only did Balthazar and the Prime Merlinian escape, they killed Son-Lok and took the Grimhold."

"I'm sorry." Drake was attempting to pull invisible fingers away from his throat. "But you should know that there might be another way to get to your apprentice."

Horvath released his grip on Drake's throat. "I'm listening."

"There's a girl."

Horvath's eyes lit up at the news. Chuckling to himself, Horvath began thinking aloud. "Oh David. Whatever shall we do with you? I guess you didn't learn as well as I thought."

Drake pulled himself off of the floor. "I know who she is. With the girl as bait, catching the Prime Merlinian should be a piece of cake."

Both sorcerers grinned at the thought before they were interrupted by a cultured British voice. "Whatever this elaborate plan of yours is, I hope that you have room for one more."

Spinning towards the intruder, both Morganians prepared for a fight until they saw whom they were facing. Horvath stared at the intruder before gasping, "Isaac?"

Drake, however, was even more stunned by the man's sudden appearance. "Master?"

**A/N: ** Thanks for the review everyone!

Sorry for the long delay and the lack of any viable explanation in the previous chapter. However, I do plan to make up for the lack of angst in the next two chapters. For all of you who loved Dave abuse, I'm planning on a whopping dose of it. Anyhow, in the meantime I leave you with this so read and enjoy.

P.S. Arlothia, she's actually an ocelot named Chantico, goddess of fire. This is because she bites the fire out of all of us that work with her. She looks cute in her baby pics, though.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Dave walked into the subway turnaround with two overflowing bags of groceries balanced precariously in each arm. Setting the bags down Dave flicked his wrist in a manner Balthazar had taught him and the groceries began arranging themselves. Dave's brow furrowed as he noticed a distinct lack of his teacher's presence. Leaving the groceries to their own affairs, Dave headed to the back of the underground fortress where Balthazar's room was located.

Poking his head around the partially opened door, Dave was perplexed at the odd sight before him. Balthazar was stretched, belly-down, on the floor, nose to nose with Tank, the little bulldog. The Incantus was propped up against a chair leg to the side.

"What are you doing?" Dave asked carefully.

Balthazar's eyes flicked over to Dave and he sat up with a sigh. "There is a spell that can allow two souls to inhabit one body. I was going to practice."

"So you were going to possess…Tank?" Dave replied incredulously, glancing over at the bulldog.

Balthazar looked down at the dog, which had fallen asleep and begun to drool. "I'll admit it wasn't one of my better ideas."

It had been several days since they had defeated Son Lok and nothing new had happened. When they had returned to their hideout, battered and bruised, Balthazar had decided that Dave was ready to know the real story of Merlin's apprentices.

"_Horvath told me that you were Merlin's apprentice, but I can't imagine Horvath fighting for good." Dave clenched his teeth together to stem any further angry comments._

"_I know it's hard, but understand that things changed for us. A thousand years have passed, but we were friends once, brothers, even." Balthazar had a far away look. "I was the youngest of us. There were three. Horvath was the oldest, then Veronica, and then me. As children we were all great friends, though Horvath was certainly pushy. When we got older, however, things between the three of us changed. One day I looked at Veronica and it was like the rest of the world melted away. I didn't realize that Horvath felt the same."_

_A look of understanding dawned on Dave's face. "She chose you, didn't she? Horvath couldn't stand that she chose you so he betrayed all of you."_

_Balthazar nodded. "During that final battle, I defeated Horvath and he ran. Morgana attacked me because I was weakened by the earlier fight. It was Veronica who saved me. She performed a dangerous piece of magic that allowed me to capture Morgana. I've been trying to make it up to Veronica ever since."_

Enlightenment flared in Dave's mind as he realized the implications of the spell Balthazar had been practicing and the cryptic story from days earlier. "That's what Veronica did, isn't it? I thought she died, but she trapped Morgana's soul in her own body to give you more time."

Balthazar nodded. "I plan to release the weakened Morganian's layer by layer and strip them of their powers. By myself I couldn't do it, but if you're willing to help me, we have more than enough strength."

"Believe me, Balthazar, we'll get Veronica back." Dave looked thoughtful. "Isn't that evil, though? Stealing someone's powers?"

"We're not stealing them, we're neutralizing them." Balthazar replied firmly. "The laws of ancient magic state that any sorcerers who use their powers for evil forfeit their birthright to magic. That's why Morganian's are always leeching power away from each other."

"If that's true then why couldn't Horvath steal my powers? I did horrible things." The younger sorcerer asked, confused.

Balthazar smiled, "Because, Dave, through all of your pain and heartache, you never lost sight of what it meant to be a good person. You are still remarkably pure hearted."

With that said, Balthazar headed back to the kitchen to devour a rather large portion of the new groceries.

**SA-SA-SA**

By the end of the week the two Merlinians had made leaps and bounds in their quest for knowledge about the possession spells. Furthermore, they had managed to release a Morganian and destroy his powers. Necalli had been sent back to the jungles of Nicaragua where the witch doctor could no longer terrify local villagers.

All in all, Dave was feeling fairly good about life as a whole. The day after sending Necalli packing, Dave headed to street level to meet Becky while Balthazar worked on 'the plan.'

As always, the second Dave caught sight of the golden-blonde hair and enormous blue eyes, his heart lifted. Catching Becky's smaller hand in his own, Dave grinned.

"So how has your day been?" He asked happily.

"Oh, you know. Physics was a bear but tomorrow's line-up for the radio show is going to be amazing." She grinned back. "And what have you been doing?"

"Defeating evil sorcerers, attempting to possess a dog, rescuing Balthazar's one-thousand year old girlfriend." Dave counted the list on the fingers of his free hand. "Nothing too exciting."

Then he laughed as they continued to walk down the street hand in hand, talking quietly. Several hours later they had wound up sitting at the top of the Chrysler building staring out at the New York City skyline, exactly as Dave remembered from his dream.

As they sat there, however, a feeling of uneasiness settled in the pit of Dave's stomach. _A little too much like my dream_, Dave thought to himself as the hair on the back of his neck began to stick up.

"Hello, David." The cultured English accent startled Dave and Becky. Dave stood and whirled around to face the intruder, taking in the shoulder length, white-blonde hair, tailcoat and high-heeled buckle boots. The resemblance to Drake Stone was obvious, but at the same time, the newcomer was clearly more comfortable with himself. He carried himself with an air of confidence that Drake, with all his bravado, did not possess.

As Dave took in the stranger's appearance, a memory stirred in the back of his mind. Carefully placing himself between Becky and the newest threat Dave calmly replied, "Isaac, right? You're a friend of Horvath's."

Isaac grinned. "I wouldn't call us friends, exactly, but we are old acquaintances with mutual goals."

"Look," Dave said reasonably, "I'm pretty sure I know what you want. Problem is, I don't have it with me. So if you'll just let me take Becky home, I'm sure we can work something out."

"That won't be necessary, David. I'd like for you to come with me." The grin turned malicious. "Your friend can come too."

Dave knew that he was backed into a corner with Becky to protect. He couldn't provoke Isaac into a fight without putting her in harm's way. He also couldn't teleport them both to safety. While he and Balthazar had been working on his teleportation skills, something Horvath had neglected to teach Dave, his skills had not yet developed to the point that he could take another living being along without the risk of destroying them.

An idea flashed in Dave's mind. He couldn't take two people, but he could send another person somewhere. Before Isaac could come any closer or utter any spells Dave faced Becky. "Close your eyes."

Isaac lunged at the pair but a blinding light obstructed his vision. When his eyes refocused Dave was leaning against the nearest wall, bleeding from his nose and looking utterly spent. Becky, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.

Furious at being outsmarted by a mere boy and losing the girl as leverage, Isaac lost all traces of congeniality. He grabbed Dave roughly by the collar and began dragging him towards the exit, snarling. "You're the only one we need anyway."

**SA-SA-SA**

Bright white light filled the underground hideout, but Balthazar didn't even glance up from the Incantus. "I thought that we agreed that you wouldn't be teleporting unsupervised. After all, I thought one accidental trip to Minnesota and back would make you a little more cautious."

When no snarky comment was thrown back at him, Balthazar looked up to find a very traumatized looking young woman staring around in disbelief. Balthazar was on his feet and at her side instantaneously.

The girl put her hand to her head and started to buckle, though Balthazar was ready for such an event. "How…how did I get here?"

"Becky, listen to me. You know about Dave's magic, but any other questions I will answer, just not right now." Balthazar knew that panicking would not benefit anyone. "Becky you need to tell me what happened. Where is Dave?"

**A/N: **I'm back, finally. I would give an excuse, but I don't feel like I need one. Thankfully I have a very busy life outside the world up . Though I am stoked to have been published in two very important journals. Well, they're important to animal trainers and conservationists and that's about it. Other than that, things have been cake lately.

If you have questions about the story or don't understand something, let me know. Thanks!

AJ


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"We…we were at the Chrysler building and this man appeared. Tall, white-blonde hair, purple tailcoat." Becky shook her head. "He looked like, I don't know, Vince Neil pre-drugs."

Balthazar looked surprised, "That sounds like Isaac, but he's supposed to be dead."

"Isaac! YES! Dave called him Isaac." Becky looked at Balthazar with sudden hope and such absolute trust that the older sorcerer had to wonder what Dave had been saying about him. "You can find Dave, I know you can."

Balthazar was thankful that one of them was so optimistic.

**SA-SA-SA**

Dave was unaware of everything but the dark fog surrounding him. Some part of him recognized that he was unconscious and that part of him knew that being unconscious was actually a good thing. Being awake was too painful to bear.

Another part of Dave's mind, however, longed for the real world, regardless of the consequences. That was the part that knew there was a reason to keep going. The thought grew more and more persistent and the fog began to lift. Pain began to filter through the young sorcerer's body as struggled to wake up. The gasping sound rang through Dave's ears as his head snapped up. He was sitting on a hard, wooden chair in a barren stone room. The now familiar feeling of being unable to move from the neck down was disheartening.

Dave had hoped that, with no one else in the room, some of the security measures taken had receded. He mentally added up the time he had been held captive. The young man was startled to realize that, by his rough estimation, it had been almost three days since Isaac had brought him to the desolate prison to be dealt with, as Horvath had so eloquently put it.

Beyond that, however, nothing. No questions, no threats, not even witty banter was tossed out, and that frightened Dave more than anything else that had happened. It wasn't that the Morganians didn't have a reason to torture him; they just normally had a habit of using it as a means to an end. He had concluded on day one that they were just using him as bait for Balthazar.

Dave looked up as the door opened and Isaac walked in followed by Horvath. The Morganians approached him leisurely and, for the first time in three days, Horvath spoke. "I'm certain you're curious about why you're not dead yet."

"Not really." Dave had no problem looking mildly disinterested, despite his dreadful condition. He knew that Horvath would be able to tell that he wasn't lying. "I pretty much had it pegged from day one."

Horvath frowned and opened his mouth to speak but Isaac stopped him. "Continue, boy."

"Oh come on. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not stupid. A moron could tell you I'm supposed to be bait." Dave grinned humorlessly. "I'm sure you thought of how disheartening would it be for Balthazar if I'm broken beyond repair and he's unable to rescue me. He comes for me and is to distraught to fight back, you kill him, then me, then you ride off into the sunset together on a griffin or something."

Both older sorcerers were staring at him disbelievingly, but even as the started to correct him, Dave interrupted them again. "It won't work. Did you really think that I didn't have a contingency for this situation? We neutralized most of the sorcerers on the grimhold already. I gave Balthazar a detailed plan on what to do. Did you think I had to kill Morgana to be her downfall?"

Horvath looked like he was about to have an aneurism, but Isaac grinned openly. "Bravo, David. You seem to have it all figured out. Except for, well, everything."

Dave's eyes widened fractionally as he sorted through his analytical mind trying to find the answer.

"My dear boy, many have wondered at my absence over the years, but few know the truth." Isaac paused and looked at Dave critically. "When I first found out about you, I was concerned that Horvath would not be able to properly… motivate you to act like a Morganian. I was right, obviously, because no matter what he made you do, you remained so very pure of heart. This is where the problem lies."

"Years ago, after I learned of you, I went out into the world looking for information on how to change someone's very nature. Oddly enough, I kept coming back to the simplest of ideas: Love. It changed Horvath from an honorable man into a selfish, hate-motivated dung beetle." Horvath flushed and walked out the door, but Isaac ignored him.

Dave glared at the man and spat "It wasn't love, it was envy."

"But it was envy caused by someone he loved very dearly. But you, boy, don't seem to have an envious bone in your body. In fact, the very thought of your 'goodness' makes me want to vomit. However, it does make you that much simpler to break." The older sorcerer bent until he was at eye level with Dave.

"I've heard that you're in love David. Tell me, what would you do if you lost her." Isaac smirked as Dave's eyes darkened noticeably. "That's right. You'd be no better than the rest of us. Losing a loved one, especially in such a tragic way as I have planned for your little girlfriend, has its' costs. It leaves something behind, a darkness in the place wear your heart used to be."

Dave swallowed, visibly shaken. "And then what, I turn evil?"

"Not exactly. You won't have the strength, we've made certain of that. When all that hate and anger and darkness takes over, we'll strip away you're remarkable powers and use it to reinstate Morgana to her rightful place." Isaac straightened and headed for the door saying, "And as for your friend Balthazar coming to your rescue, even if he could find you, his blood is unable to pass through the wards of this building. He'll be dealt with by Morgana personally."

**SA-SA-SA**

"You're insane. Like, guano crazy." Becky stared at Balthazar as though he'd grown a second head. Three days without Dave had made both of them stir-crazy. As Becky had predicted, Balthazar had been able to find Dave rather quickly. It was getting to him that seemed to be a problem.

Balthazar laughed quietly, "I might be crazy, but I can't physically pass through those wards."

"So you're going to make TANK do it?" Yelled Becky.

"You misunderstand, I will be going for Dave in Tank's body." "Yeah, because that is SO much better." The young woman scoffed.

"I can't go. YOU definitely can't go. Once I'm inside through Tank, I can sabotage whatever spell they're using to run the wards." Balthazar paused. "Unless you have a better plan?"

Becky rolled her eyes and flipped her long, blonde hair, but otherwise said nothing.

"Good, then here's the plan."

**SA-SA-SA **

Becky walked towards the coffee shop feeling thrilled and terrified all at once. For the first time since Dave had gone missing, they had a plan. It wasn't a great plan, as Balthazar's body was currently lying uninhabited on the couch in the station, but it was a plan nonetheless. After Tank/Balthazar had left, Becky had been required to guard the sorcerer's body, which was mind-numbingly dull. After a few hours Becky had grabbed a dagger, which was clearly magical, that she had found in a massive trunk, and left.

As she strode down the sidewalk Becky couldn't help but feel like something was approaching her. When she turned the next corner she spun around and waited. As footsteps became clear, Becky braced herself and, just as a young man rounded the corner, she thrust her palm into the face of her follower. He reeled backwards, eyes streaming and attempted to right himself, only to tilt dangerously. As he leaned against the building for support, Becky pulled out the dagger and tried to look threatening.

"What the HELL was that for?" The young British accent sounded more insulted than angry.

"You were following me. Is this about Dave? Are you one of them?" Becky's voice was rising hysterically, but she didn't care.

"Alright, calm down. Just...GET THAT AWAY." Her follower had caught sight of the dagger and his reaction had been instantaneous. He was afraid of it.

Becky quickly realized her advantage. "Yeah, you'd better not come any closer or I'll, um, stab...you."

"You have no idea what that is, do you?" The man sighed, "Look, I want to talk to Balthazar Blake. He's the only one that can get me out of this mess."

"Well, tough. I want answers, and until you give me those, I won't help you."

With a glare, Becky's would be follower pulled himself away from the building and began walking down the sidewalk. When he realized Becky wasn't following he called back to her, "coming?"

"I'm not going with you! You might throw me in a dungeon or something."

"Actually, I was thinking the coffee shop down the road. I could use some caffeine." He looked warily at her, " and an ice pack." Becky trotted to catch up, keeping the dagger between them, but feeling much less hostile. "I'm Becky Barnes."

"Drake Stone."

**SA-SA-SA **

Balthazar and Tank could hear Horvath's whining tone as they made their way through the old fashioned brownstone where Dave was being held. Tank's senses were remarkable and if it hadn't been for the irritating instincts, Balthazar would have considered spending time as a dog more often. However, it was remarkably inconvenient to want to stop and urinate every two minutes just to mark possible territories. Thankfully Tank's canine loyalty and Balthazar's human cunning had kept them on track.

Sniffing the air around them, Balthazar could feel tank's excitement as they caught a familiar scent. It took all of the sorcerer's will to prevent the little dog from howling with joy.

'Slowly, carefully.' He repeated the mantra over and over. Eventually tank caught on and continued without as much guidance. Finally they reached a door that positively reeked of Dave. Looking around cautiously, Balthazar spotted runes that had been drawn out in ceremonial chalk. He recognized the spells as the wards that were keeping his human body out and Dave's in.

With smirking human thoughts and complete doggy instinct, Balthazar politely asked tank to mark the runes as his territory. With one last satisfied look at the dissolving runes, tank and Balthazar began pushing at the door.

**SA-SA-SA **

Dave was certain that he was hallucinating. Tank the bulldog had just pushed the door to his prison open and was now staring at him with very human blue eyes. The young sorcerer pushed himself off the floor, though how he'd gotten there was a mystery, and tried to clear his head.

Putting his hand out, Dave was startled when the dog ran over and nudged his palm. It was real in a way that other thoughts and feelings weren't. Gathering all of his focus, Dave studied the animal intensely and stared into its' eyes. Its' bright blue human eyes. " Balthazar?"


End file.
